No Strings
by ziva2012
Summary: Is a intimate relationship possible without there being consequences? Find out what happens when Jack and Sam admit to their feelings for one another.
1. Chapter 1

NO STRINGS by Pauline Fitzsimmons and ziva Other Characters: Hammond, Jacob, Ishta and new Chapter One

Major Jack O Neill, a pilot with the USAF, had just found out he was being transferred to Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany. He was dreading telling his wife, Sara, who he was pretty sure was not going to be happy about it. He had been stationed in Colorado for the past four years, and she loved it there. She had grown up in Colorado, they had met and married there, and her father lived there. So when he got home that night, from his job as a flight instructor at Peterson AFB outside of Colorado Springs, he tried to break the news to her gently.

You knew I d be transferred eventually. And this won t be so bad, Sara. I ve been to Germany. It s really nice.

Oh no! I am not taking my son away from the only home he s ever known. I want him to grow up here where I grew up. I want him to have a normal life, not grow up on one military base after another. Why don t you quit, Jack? With your qualifications you could get a good job flying for a commercial airlines.

We ve talked about this before. I love my job, Sara; you know that. Look, why don t you stay here for a while. Let Charlie finish up the year at his preschool. Then maybe you can come to Germany for a visit. Once you see it, I bet you ll like it.

Okay, but I still wish you d quit the Air Force. You could make much more money working for one of the big airlines.

Sara, I am not having this conversation with you again! You can stay here in Colorado Springs, but I am not quitting the Air Force and that s final!

And that was where they had left things.

Three weeks later Jack arrived in Germany, where it didn t take him long to settle into the officer s quarters. After all, he didn t have much in the way of personal belongings. The place was really just a small one bedroom apartment. If Sara and Charlie came, he would need to move to one of the family units, but for now this would do.

One day at lunchtime Jack decided to try the commissary, which he had heard served really great food. When he arrived he found the room packed with people. Figuring it as a good sign that the rumor was correct, he got in the long serving line, eager to fill up on what smelled like some mighty fine cooking.

But once he had loaded up his tray, he had trouble finding a place to sit. In fact, the only free chair in the place was at a table which was already occupied.

The young woman seated there was so engrossed in the papers she was holding over her plate, that she didn t even notice him standing at her elbow.

I m sorry to bother you. Do you mind if I sit here? he asked. When she glanced up, Jack was awestruck by her beauty! Not only did she have eyes like Star Sapphires, but she had blonde hair like spun gold and a peaches and cream complexion too.

Oh! Of course, Sam replied as she quickly moved a book and some more papers from the other side of the two-person table. It was only then that she really looked at him, and what she saw startled her. He was gorgeous! As usual she had been concentrating on her work, but now her attention was drawn to this tall, handsome stranger. He had to be new, or she surely would have noticed him before. He was a lot older than her, but he was incredible!

Jack managed to put his tray down without spilling anything, and then he sat down and tried to keep his mind on his food. But it was hard not to stare at her.

You been here long? he asked.

Almost three months. It was her first overseas assignment, and so far she loved Germany. You? she asked, glad that he had spoken to her. She knew she wouldn t be able to concentrate on her work with someone as yummy as him sitting across from her, so she figured she might as well spend her time getting to know him. She didn t have many friends here. Well, the truth was she didn t have many friends anywhere.

Just got here a few days ago. My name s Jack Jack O Neill.

I m Samantha Carter, but most people call me Sam.

I don t know why they d wanna do that, he said without thinking. Samantha s a beautiful name.

She smirked and shook her head at him. She had seen guys try all sorts things to get girls in bed with them, but she thought she was too smart for that sort of thing. I m disappointed in you, Jack. Is that the best pick up line you ve got? she asked, gazing at him over the top of her cup.

I wasn t coming on to you, Lieutenant. I meant it. And in case you didn t notice, I m married, he said, holding up his left hand so she could see his wedding band.

That doesn t stop a lot of men.

Well, it stops me. If you d rather I move to another table, so some other guy can hit on you, I d be happy to, he offered, as he started to pick up his tray. He was only half serious. Actually he was intrigued by her, even though part of him knew he shouldn t be. She was way too young for him, not to mention that he was married.

No! No, I m sorry if I misjudged you. Please, eat. I promise I won t bother you or say anything else stupid. At least I ll try not to, she said, blushing.

She was turning pink from the neck up, and now Jack could feel himself getting turned on. But he knew this was neither the time nor the place for the way he was feeling, so he figured he d better eat and then get the hell out of there. So he lowered his head and started shoveling in the food. It might have tasted like sawdust for all he cared. All he could think about was the gorgeous blonde seated across from him and the very poor first impression he d made on her.

When he didn t say anything else, Sam figured she d done it again. She was always scaring men off with her stupid comments and unfriendly behavior.

I m really sorry I was so rude. To tell you the truth, I don t have much experience with men. I m sort of a geek.

Naw, that s just not possible. How could anyone has pretty as you be a geek?

Sam felt herself blushing even more now, so she handed him one of the papers she d been looking at. Maybe discussing her work would help her calm down? She watched his face and waited for his reaction.

Jack read bits and pieces of the report, which was on wormholes and time distortion. He understood the basics of what she was theorizing, but he handed the paper back to her without saying a word.

Do you understand it?

If I said I don t, would you think any less of me? Oh wait, you already think I m a married man who hits on every woman he meets, so how could you think any less of me, right? Actually he didn t think that what she was proposing was possible, but he didn t want to insult her intelligence.

I already said I was sorry. But that wasn t my point. This is a paper I m planning to submit for my doctorate in astrophysics. She was only 22, and a lot younger than most people in her field. Actually she was younger than ALL the people in her field, and it was tough to get anyone to take her seriously. So usually she had to work twice as hard and be twice as good at everything she did. And that didn t give her much time for socializing.

Okay, I get it; you re really smart about some things, but you have no experience with men. How do you expect to get experience, when you won t even give a guy the time of day? We just met, for crying out loud! For all you knew I could have been a very eligible bachelor in search of his soul mate, or some such crap like that, he grumbled.

Sam almost spit out her tea. When she stopped laughing at his callous, albeit humorous remark, she decided to try and make amends.

How about I show you around? Kaiserslautern is actually a pretty nice place to live.

I guess I could go for that. What harm would it do just to go sightseeing with her?

Great! Are you free tomorrow afternoon say around two? she asked, as she wiped her mouth on a paper napkin.

As a matter of fact I don t have to report for duty until Monday. I have a car from the motor pool, so I ll pick you up. Where are you bunking? he asked, as she stood up. Now he could see how tall she was. He liked tall women, so there was another thing to like about her not that he needed any convincing. He liked her alright. He liked her a lot!

Just up the street. It s the second building on the right. Number twenty-two. I ll watch for you.

It s a date between friends, I mean, he said with a smile, and she nodded.

Jack watched as she tucked her book and papers under her arm, before picking up her tray and carrying it to the door.

He was even more impressed now that he saw her in motion. She had a sure, carefree way of walking that belied any imagined insecurities she might profess to have. He thought anyone seeing her would think she had the world by the tail, and a part of him wished they d met sooner .years ago, before he married Sara. But he knew it was a waste of time to wish for something that could never be. He had made his bed, so to speak, and because of his son he would try to make his marriage work.

Sam walked to the lab where she worked that day, feeling like she was floating on a cloud. She knew the dangers of seeing a married man. Well, not first-hand, but she d heard things about flyboys who liked to take advantage of lonely women posted overseas. But she felt certain she could control herself. After all, up till now she d been able to scare off every suitable bachelor who came her way and a few unsuitable ones too. So, since it had been over a year since she d spent time alone with any man, she decided to try and enjoy the time for what it was, just two friends seeing the sights.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

It was a glorious day, the sun was shining and the air smelled clean and fresh after an early morning rain. Jack stopped the Jeep in front of her building, and as promised she was waiting for him. Jack's mouth dropped open when he saw her in civvies for the first time.

She had on tight fitting black jeans, a red tank top, and a white cardigan tied around her shoulders. There were simple diamond studs in her ears, and she wore the same simple watch she'd had on the day before. 'Now here is a woman who knows she doesn't need much makeup or anything else to make her look stunning,' he thought to himself as she climbed into the Jeep. He wasn't attracted to women who wore a lot of makeup and jewelry. He thought a woman's beauty should speak for itself, and Sam's was shouting at him loud and clear! She was what his married buddies would call 'grounds for divorce,' but at the moment he couldn't make himself care.

"So…where to?" he asked, unable to keep from grinning like a fool.

"Take the main road out to the highway and turn left. We're going to a little town called Lauterhausen for lunch."

Jack drove while she pointed out the places on base he might need to know about, and it wasn't long before they were sailing along the highway with the wind in their hair. Sam had brought along a scarf, which she tied around her head, but wisps of long blonde hair sneaked out anyway. She kept trying to control them, as he accelerated up the mountain, smiling. He was feeling very carefree, as if his life was suddenly worry-free.

It was a feeling he hadn't had in what seemed like a lifetime. Even when he was a kid he'd worried, first about helping out his elderly grandparents, who were trying to eke out a living on a dairy farm in order to support him, and then later about leaving his grandmother in a nursing home so he could go off and join the Air Force. It had been a decision he hadn't made lightly. But the result had been that he'd been able to pay for her care. Until she died she had had the best care money could provide, so in that way the decision had been a good one.

Now he worried about his son. If he and Sara divorced, which they had almost done the year before, he didn't know how he could be a good father to Charlie. It wasn't that he was with the boy a lot, but at least when he was home he always spent quality time with him. Now, unless he could get Sara to agree to move to Germany, he wasn't sure what would happen.

A part of him thought she'd use this assignment to file for divorce, and a part of him wished she'd just get it over with. It wasn't that he didn't love her anymore, but any desire he'd felt for her sexually had been destroyed years ago. During her pregnancy she'd had problems. At the time he hadn't minded being turned down because she didn't feel good, but later, after the boy was born, she continued to use one excuse after the other. And now they rarely had sex, and when they did, he always felt like she was just doing it so he'd stop asking.

"Jack? Did you hear me? The turn off is just at the top of the next hill," Sam said. She could tell his mind was far off. Maybe he missed his wife?

"Right or left?" he asked. He hadn't hear her, and he hoped she didn't think he was being rude on purpose.

"Turn right. Then restaurant is the third building on the right…the place with the red geraniums hanging from the eaves." Sam loved the cute gingerbread eves and the wraparound balconies. The restaurant was actually on the ground floor of an old inn, and the view from the windows was awesome!

Seated outside on the patio they ate a hearty lunch of bratwurst, German potato salad and sauerkraut, washed down with pints of beer. And while they ate, they talked about everything under the sun, from politics to their favorite hockey teams. They were both surprised to find out how much they had in common. Sam loved hockey games, although she was just an observer, while Jack had played in high school. They also talked about the actors and movies they liked, and the music they loved. Jack was a jazz fan and had even played with a band when he was in college. Sam also played guitar, although she claimed she wasn't very good.

"I bet there isn't anything you can't do and do well," he told her, taking her hand across the table.

"Oh, you'd be surprised," she said, blushing as she felt a sort of tingling feeling in between her legs. She was getting turned on, and although she knew it wasn't a good idea, she didn't want the feeling to end!

Jack studied her face. It was beautiful in a very natural way, not like the other women he'd been attracted to. He'd fooled around a time or two. When he and Sara had been separated the year before, women had practically thrown themselves at him, and he was no saint. But this was different. He respected this woman, and he felt very at ease around her. Or was it the beer and the sun? He didn't know. He just knew that he felt like spilling his guts to her, so he did.

"Actually, I'm married, but only because I can't seem to give up. I would like my son to have a happy life, with two parents who love one another, but Sara and I are not doing that well. It's not that I don't love her anymore, but it's not like it was when we were first married. We used to make love all night, and then we'd sit on the roof of my truck and watch the sun come up," he said, his eyes focusing on some far off mountain peak.

Sam could imagine him making love to a woman all night long. She figured from the look of him that he had the stamina for it, but she pictured herself laying under him instead of his wife, and the image made her blush.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to embarrass you," he said as he reached out and squeezed her hand.

"Oh, no, I don't mind at all. I was just thinking," she said. She knew that must sound like she wasn't paying attention to him, but she was afraid to tell him about her vision. He squeezed her hand a little tighter then, and ran his thumb over her knuckles, and she thought if he kept doing that, and looking at her with those chocolate eyes of his, she was going to rip her clothes off and demand he take her right there on the table! She felt like she was riding high on a cloud, and then he said something that made time stand still.

"I've never met anyone like you before, Sam. I'd like to get to know you better."

"I thought that's what we were doing?" she asked nervously, even though she understood his meaning.

"You know what I mean, honey. I'm very attracted to you, and unless I'm mistaken, you're attracted to me too."

"Yes, I am," she said, nodding her head like one of those bobble dolls. A part of her wanted to get up and run, but another part of her wanted exactly what he wanted.

Like someone in a trance Sam waited while Jack registered and paid for a room. Then she let him lead her up the stairs to one of the bedrooms above the restaurant. From the open window she could see the snow-capped mountains in the distance. It was a fantastic view, but it wasn't long before she was staring at the ceiling with Jack poised over her.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked. He'd never felt like this before. Sam was someone special, and he still couldn't believe she was here with him like this.

"Yes, I want to," she replied, as she stared into his dark eyes. Her brain felt like it was on some sort of opiate, while her body felt like it was on fire. And when he lifted her leg over his hip and slid inside her, she almost passed out from the feeling. Then he made slow, tender love to her, reaching places inside her she didn't know existed. He was not a small man, and he also had a technique that far surpassed the bumbling fools she'd been with before. It wasn't long before she was climaxing, biting her lip to keep from screaming her head off. And then he turned her over on her belly and entered her from behind, his big hand lifting her off the bed so he could position himself inside her at just the right angle. Her second climax surprised her. She never came twice! But now it seemed like she couldn't stop coming, and it also seemed like he could go on fucking her forever.

Two hours later they were snuggled up together under a blanket, and she was wondering how she'd lived without this in her life…without HIM in her life.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter three

They slept together regularly for several weeks after that, but never at the same hotel. He never said why, but she got the feeling it was out of consideration for her reputation. But then one day Jack seemed distant. And when she asked him what was bothering him, he told her that they wouldn't be able to see each other for a while. Sam felt crushed.

"My wife and son are coming for a visit. They'll probably stay for a couple of weeks. They arrive tomorrow," he said quietly, as they lay in bed together after another afternoon of making love.

Sam was quiet, and Jack gave her an affectionate hug. "You know I've been trying to make my marriage work…for my son's sake."

"Yes, I know you have, and I understand. I'll be okay. It's just….I'll miss you something awful," she said, sniffling as she buried her face in his chest. She never wanted to be THAT girl, the one who begged a man for attention. And yet here she was, crying because she wouldn't be able to be with him for a while. But the worst part was the reason for her tears. She was in love with a married man! How had she let this happen?

Sam pushed away and got out of bed, causing Jack to sit up and watch her. She picked up a piece of paper she found on the dresser and stood there looking at it. "I'm hungry. Are you hungry? We could go here for dinner," she said, as she held the flyer in trembling hands. Her words were those of someone who was wounded but was trying not to show it. He got up and went to her, putting his arms around her from behind.

"There's nothing I wouldn't do to change things, Sam. But you know it's not possible," he told her.

She knew what he meant. If only they'd met sooner, before he married Sara, but the sad reality was that they hadn't, and now the future of a little boy was in their hands. There was so much she wished she could say to him, like if he left his wife, she would gladly help him raise his son, if it came to that. They could at least have the boy during his school breaks. She wanted to have her own children one day, but a child of Jack's would always be special to her.

But instead of saying what was on her mind, Sam let the moment pass. If this was all they could have, then she didn't want to waste time talking about what might have been. She turned to him then, her eyes filled with tears. Jack began kissing them away, and she melted against him, unwilling to think about tomorrow.

"Let's make tonight last, Jack. Make love to me again," she begged him.

"But I thought you were hungry?" he asked, a smirk on his handsome face.

"I am…for YOU!" she cried. Seeing her tears made him feel horrible. He had no right to expect so much from someone so wonderful and trusting, and yet he was. So now he worked hard to satisfy her, using his hands and his mouth to bring her to one orgasm after the other. And finally, when her body was wet and humming, he pushed himself into her tight passage and fucked her like there was no tomorrow.

After dinner they came back to the hotel and spent most of the night making love. And then early the next morning he took her back to her barracks. Sam wasn't surprised when he didn't kiss her good-bye. He never kissed her here on base or anyplace where someone they knew might see them. She hadn't wondered about it before. But now, knowing that his wife and son were coming, a part of her wondered if he was being cautious for himself, rather than to protect her reputation?

A few days later Sam was taking a short cut through a small park on base, when she saw Jack through the trees. He was walking with a woman and a boy, and Sam knew immediately who they were.

Not wanting to be seen, she darted behind a tree while they passed. The boy came bouncing along the sidewalk, giggling as he ran with the naïve delight of a four-year-old with no cares in the world. Jack and Sara had their arms locked as they walked along behind him, laughing at the boy's antics. Every now and then Sara called to Charlie, telling him to wait for them, and then the boy would come running back to wrap his arms around Jack's legs, almost causing Jack to lose his balance. The second time he did it, Jack picked him up and hugged him.

Sam watched from her hiding place, amazed by the boy's resemblance to his father. She thought the three looked like a normal happy family, and she knew then what she had to do. She loved Jack with all her heart, but she didn't want to be the cause of him and Sara splitting up, especially for the boy's sake.

So she went straight to her CO's office, where she asked to take a leave of absence, 'for personal reasons' she told him. She wanted time to figure out what she was going to do about the mess she found herself in, because living with these feelings of guilt and uncertainty was simply not an option!

When Sam got to work the next morning, she found her co-workers chatting about the coming weekend. Every year there was a winter festival at the nearby ski resort, and everyone in town and on base was invited. This year was no different. On Saturday there would be a cross country skiing event, followed by a cookout, and then a parade of lights after dark. Then on Sunday there would be downhill ski racing, and a toboggan competition which even the children could enter. And Sunday evening there was going to be a formal dinner, followed by a dance with a live band.

The theme of the dinner dance this year was The Nifty Fifties, and everyone was talking about what they intended to wear. Everyone except Sam, that is.

"Oh, come on, Sam, you have to go," whined Sally. Sally Mercer was the nearest thing Sam had to a friend here in Germany, but Sam didn't really feel she had much in common with the round-faced, petite blonde, who spent most of her time talking about men. Sally liked them all, whether they were short or tall, dark or fair. But for some reason they didn't like her much…at least not enough to ask her out.

"I'm participating in the ski race. Isn't that enough?"

The USAF had organized teams for each sport. They were hoping to beat the Germans who had won most of the races the previous winter. Sam didn't want to let her teammates down, and since her leave didn't officially begin until Monday, she decided to stay just long enough to participate. She loved skiing and was very good at it. Besides, she figured the exercise and camaraderie might help take her mind off her problems.

"No, it's not enough. I wanna see you shake your booty at the dance, Carter," Lt. Jed Marsters responded, giving Sam a leering look.

"There's no chance of that now, buddy!" Sam said with a laugh.

"Aw, come on, Sam. It'll be fun. I have an extra formal you can wear. It's too long for me anyway," Sally explained.

"An extra one?"

"Yeah. My mother sent me some clothing that belonged to my sister. She's married now and has three kids. The longer formal is blue. I think it'll go great with your eyes."

"I don't know. I'm really not into dancing."

"I'd be happy to teach you a thing or two….about dancing and other things," Jed said, winking.

"Give it up, Marsters. I'm not interested."

"She doesn't want you. She's already got a guy, you idiot," Sgt. Bill Daniels declared, joining in the conversation.

"Oh? Anyone I know?" Jed asked, and Sam held her breath, hoping that Bill hadn't seen her with Jack. If he had, what would she say?

"You don't know what you're talking about," Sam responded, giving Bill a look that said he was crazy.

"I saw you with this older guy just last week. Wasn't that you over in Weisfeld?"

Everyone was staring at her now. Sam's mouth went dry, but somehow she managed to answer. "Weisfeld? I don't even know where that is, so No, it wasn't me."

"Sam, you have to come to the dinner dance with me. Please?" Sally begged.

"Well, I guess I could attend the dinner."

"Great! Let's go to my place for lunch. You can try on the dress," Sally suggested. So the two women made plans to eat lunch in Sally's barracks room, while the guys went back to work.

Meanwhile, in the married quarters, Charlie was napping, while Jack was trying to convince Sara to come with him to the winter festival.

"I know you don't like sports, but you and Charlie can watch. And the ski lodge is nice. We'll get a room for the weekend. Besides, I think it's about time I taught Charlie how to ski."

"Oh, no, you are not taking him out there on those things! He could break a leg…or worse," she said, shaking her head.

"Alright, no skiing for Charlie. You two can sit in the lobby and drink hot chocolate, for all I care, but I am not letting the team down." The Germans stationed at Ramstein often won the competitions, and this year Jack wanted to change that.

"Okay, I guess we can go."

"Good!" Jack thought if he played his cards right, he would get a chance to get the boy on skis. He just needed to be patient and clever.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

On Friday night the O'Neill family arrived at the hotel and checked in, and for the first time in a long while Jack felt happy and exhilarated. He couldn't wait to get out on the slopes! They went up to their room, and Jack told Sara he wouldn't be long. "I just want to see what the snow is like further up the mountain."

Sara was not happy about him going out without her and started to complain, but he just kissed her on the cheek, ruffled Charlie's hair and was gone.

Jack had just reached the hallway leading to the ski rental office, when he almost collided with a woman who was all wrapped up in a ski suit, hat and goggles. He started to apologize, when she lifted her goggles and stared at him. "Sam!"

"I didn't know you'd be here," Sam said, her blue eyes glued to his brown ones. They were both overwhelmed at seeing each other again so soon, and in that instant their feelings got the best of them.

Jack pulled her to him and kissed her soundly. Then he suddenly came to his senses and pushed her away. What was he doing? His wife and son were upstairs in the hotel! "I'm sorry, Sam. I shouldn't have done that." He backed away from her, his mind reeling. All he could think was, if he'd known she was going to be here, he never would have come.

"I have to go," he said abruptly, and then he hurried down the hallway and into the shop.

Sam went up to the reception, where she asked the clerk to check the register.

"Yes, there is a Mister and Missus O'Neill and child staying here. Would you like me to ring their room?"

"No thank you." Sam felt disappointed. Jack was staying here at the hotel, but he'd brought his wife and son with him! Now she needed to know if he was entered in the competition, so she checked the ski team roster, which was posted on the bulletin board next to the side entrance. Sure enough, Jack was listed as a participant in the downhill race.

Now what was she going to do? She loved him, and she wanted to go after him to apologize for being here. She didn't want him thinking she was stalking him. But even if she could get him alone, what good would that do? Seeing him again would only make her feel worse. She already felt like her heart was going to burst out of her chest. She had to calm down and keep her mind on the competition. And then once it was over, she'd get out of there. She'd fly home to the states for a while, or maybe to Paris or any place where she wouldn't run into him.

She managed to avoid Jack and his family that evening by taking dinner in her room. But she knew that it would be impossible to avoid them tomorrow, when both she and Jack were scheduled to participate in the downhill event. She didn't sleep well that night.

There were four US teams and four German teams, and there were three members on each team. Each skier would go down the winding course alone. Their times would be added together and an average time determined for each team. The team with the shortest time to the goal line would be declared the winner.

It wasn't long before it was time for Sam's team to participate. She was team captain, with Jed Marsters and a sergeant from the medical corps completing her team. And as usual, Jed had something flirtatious to say to Sam. It happened right before she took her turn.

"It's beauty before brains, eh, sweet cheeks?" the handsome scientist remarked with a leering smile.

She had seen Jack watching her over the other skiers who were waiting their turn. In a way she was glad that Jed was flirting with her where Jack could see, but that didn't mean she was going to flirt back.

"I'd say it's brains before stupidity. You're up last, Jed," she told him pointedly, but he refused to take offense and just kept on smiling at her.

Thanks to him, Sam's mind wasn't entirely on the race when she heard the starter's gun fire, but she made up for lost time on the first curve, and ended the downhill run with a very good time.

Now that she had completed her part in the competition, she hung around, part of her wanting to watch Jack ski, and the other part afraid she wouldn't be able to help herself when he reached the bottom. She still wanted to go to him, to tell him she hadn't planned to interfere in his time with his family. But when she heard the small voice shouting, "Where's Daddy?" she almost turned and ran. The only thing that kept her there was the fact that Sara didn't know who she was and therefore wouldn't recognize her.

So Sam stood there in the crowd near Jack's family, watching as the love of her life came barreling down the slope, her heart swelling with pride as she saw Jack complete the run in the best time thus far. At the bottom Sara hurried over to hug him, and Jack lifted Charlie onto his shoulders, smiling from ear to ear. It was too much for her to bear!

Sam slipped away and headed back to the hotel, feeling abandoned and sad. She didn't care who won the event. She just knew she couldn't watch Jack with his family any longer. So she went to the room she was sharing with Sally. She planned to pack up her stuff and get out of there, but Sally came in behind her and wouldn't hear of her leaving.

"No way, Sam! You are not deserting me. Let's go down to the bar and have a drinky-poo before lunch. You can tell me what's bugging you."

The cookout luncheon was supposed to be starting any minute, but Sam wasn't sure she wanted to go to it. What if HE was there? As for telling Sally her problems, although Sam wished for someone to confide in, she wasn't sure it would be wise to tell anyone.

"Okay, I'll come with you, but I'm just getting something to eat."

The winning US team was having lunch together at one of the picnic tables on the big deck outside, and spouses and mates were invited. When Jack was ready to go down, Charlie was watching cartoons on TV and didn't want to go anywhere. Sara claimed to have a headache, adding that she didn't feel like eating with a bunch of noisy people. Jack knew what she really meant. She didn't like it when he wanted to hang out with his service buddies.

So Jack went partially out of spite. But he also felt like celebrating. His team had beat the Germans' best time by three seconds, so everyone there was in a really good mood, including him. And after his second pint of beer, he ambled inside to use the men's room.

Against Sam's better judgment, she had been drinking and spilling her guts for the past hour, and eventually she had to use the restroom. The bar was really crowded now, so Sally offered to stay and hold their table. "I'll go when you get back, Sam," the petite blonde said cheerfully, and then she raised her hand and ordered them two more steins of beer.

When Sam came out of the ladies' room, she was shocked to find Jack waiting for her in the hallway. "Jack!"

Without a word he pulled her into a room partially filled with spare tables and chairs like the ones in the dining room. Once he'd shut the door he kissed her hard on the lips. She opened her mouth to complain, and his tongue dived inside.

It took her a full minute to gather her wits and break off the kiss. But her hands had a mind of their own, and they didn't let go of him.

"Jack, we can't do this," she said, but her hands in his hair and on his ass were saying something entirely different.

"Shut up and pull your pants down," he ordered, and Sam's hands went immediately to the waistband of her trousers. It was like she was under some sort of spell! She unfastened her pants quickly and helped Jack pull them down. If he wanted to fuck her in a storage room, she was going to let him!

Jack got down on one knee and untied her left boot. Sam put her hands on his shoulders and held on, while he pulled her pant leg off over her left foot. Then he stood up and turned her around. Sam reached out and put her hands flat on the table in front of her, spreading her legs as her belly and thighs quivered in anticipation.

This wasn't something she'd ever done before, nor something she had planned. But she wanted it! She wanted to do whatever it took to make him happy!

Behind her, Jack nudged her legs farther apart with his knee. She could hear him unzipping his trousers, and then she felt his hand in between her thighs, as he parted her nether lips with his long fingers. He shoved two of them up inside her and she moaned and circled her hips. But a second later he withdrew his fingers, and she felt empty.

"Now hold still," he said. She was already wet for him, but it still took a hard shove for him to enter her. And then he gripped her hips with both hands, while he thrust into her from behind.

"Oh, ya, that's it baby!" he cried as he felt her accepting all of him. Jack couldn't believe how great it felt to fuck her. She was always very responsive to him, not like Sara who sometimes required half a tube of lubricant before he could get himself inside her.

Sam was different. She obviously enjoyed having sex with him. She wasn't some cold-hearted bitch who did nothing but complain all the time. Jack felt angry at the way his life had turned out, and without meaning to, he took his anger out on Sam, pounding her hard and fast.

Soon they were both grunting in unison, his thick, long cock filling her deeper with each thrust. It took less than two minutes for him to come. And for a few seconds afterward he slumped over, allowing himself to rest on Sam's back. He was breathing hard, his mouth next to her ear. She wanted him to say he loved her, but he didn't say anything, and then he straightened up and pulled out, leaving her feeling empty once again.

Jack fastened his pants and quickly helped Sam get dressed. She looked down at him, running her fingers through his silvered hair, while he helped her into her pants and tied her boot. Then he stood up and pulled her into his arms, kissing the top of her head as he spoke to her. "I'm sorry, baby. I know that was quick, but I gotta go now."

"I know. It's alright," she said bravely, even though she felt empty and unsatisfied. And then he left her there and hurried back to his friends. And Sam thought dying would be preferable to how she was feeling right now.

Jack didn't see Sam again that weekend, or the following week, and then it was time for Sara and Charlie to go home. The first thing he did, after he saw his wife and son off at the airfield, was go to his office and dial Sam's work number. But the man who answered the phone told him she wasn't there.

"Lieutenant Carter has taken a leave of absence."

"Where'd she go, do you know?"

"No, I don't. Who's this?" the man asked.

"Just a friend," Jack replied, and then he hung up.

He called back the following week and got the same answer, this time from a woman. And the third week he was told by the same woman that Sam had been transferred.

"They didn't tell us where she went. All we know is that her job is highly classified. Is this Jack?"

"Uh…yah. Why?"

"I thought it might be. She told me about you. You broke her heart, you bastard," the woman told him, and then he heard a click as she slammed the phone down.

Jack felt devastated. Sam was gone! She must have been very upset with him to have left without telling him good-bye. And if her friend's words were any indication, she obviously hated him for what he'd done to her. Not that he blamed her. And now he was afraid he'd never see her again…never get a chance to apologize for the way he'd treated her.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Ten weeks later Sam was stationed at the Pentagon, working on matters few people even knew existed. Her main job was to act as liaison between Area 51, just north of Las Vegas, Nevada, and the people at the Pentagon and the Whitehouse, those who had high enough clearance to know what was going on out there at the top secret facility. She often flew out to Nevada to get briefed on the alien technology kept there. Then she and the other top scientists in the military would discuss each item of particular interest, before one was chosen for further study and testing.

Her life was busy, so she didn't have a lot of time to sit around and cry over her lost love. And when she did think about Jack, she told herself that he had probably worked things out with his wife. They had looked happy when she saw them together in Germany, and she felt certain the boy would keep them together through the good times and the bad.

'That's what children did…or were supposed to do,' she told herself sadly.

"Lieutenant, there's a phone call for you on line two," a male voice said, and Sam looked up from her desk. She had been reading a report when her mind had wandered off. It did that a lot lately, especially since she'd found out she was pregnant. She hadn't told anyone except Sally Mercer, but she knew she'd have to tell her CO soon, because it wouldn't be long before she'd be showing.

Sam picked up the phone. "This is Lieutenant Carter."

"Sam, it's me. Have you heard?" the female voice asked. It was Sally, who was still stationed in Germany.

"Heard what?"

"Are you sitting down?"

"Yes. Sally, you're scaring me."

"Sorry. I was afraid you'd already heard the news. And you're there all alone, and you're…"

"Sally, just tell me what's happened!"

"It's bad, Sam. Jack O'Neill's plane was shot down over Iraq. He's listed MIA, but they don't think he made it. The plane went down behind enemy lines."

Sam couldn't speak. It was as though someone had ripped out her vocal cords, and now they were using them to strangle her with, cutting off her oxygen. She shut her eyes and put her head down on the desk. She might have passed out, if it weren't for the constant voice in her ear.

"Sam! Sam! Sam, say something! Sam, you're scaring me to death!"

"I'm here," she finally said, lifting her head to stare vacantly at the man who had just walked into her office. It was her father! "Dad! Sally, I have to go. My Dad's here!"

"Good! I'm glad you're not alone. Call me after you tell him," she said. She didn't have to say it, but Sam knew she wasn't talking about Jack being MIA.

For weeks Sam had been telling her friend that she was scared to death to tell her father she was pregnant, while Sally kept insisting she get it over with. Sam knew she was right, but doing it frightened her more than anything else. Her father had been her role model since she was twelve, the person she strived to please, and now she was very worried that she was letting him down.

Sam but down the phone. A second later she was in her father's arms, crying like a baby. "Oh, Dad!" she sobbed.

Jacob kicked the office door shut and held Sam for a couple of minutes. Then he released her and took a handkerchief out of his pocket, handing it to her. He watched patiently as she mopped up her tears and blew her nose.

"Let's get out of here. We'll get some lunch, and you can tell me what the hell is going on with you," he said, and Sam simply nodded.

Later it was as if she'd worried about nothing. Her father was very supportive, even after she admitted that the baby's father was a married man.

"The guy's a louse! Tell me who he is, and I'll have him sent to Leavenworth for the rest of his life," he said. But when he saw her expression, he changed his tune. "I'm sorry, honey, but you can't blame me for being angry."

"It's not that. His plane was shot down. He's listed as MIA, but they think he's dead."

Jacob patted her hand. "I'm sorry, kiddo. I truly am. So…what are your plans?"

"Actually, I may be going to Nellis full time soon. As it is, I have to fly out there almost every week. They need someone with my background to lead one of the research teams, as one of the scientists is wanting to leave to work on his own project."

"It sounds like a great opportunity for you."

"Yes. I also thought I might take some time off when the baby's born. Maybe spend it at Eden Woods." Her mother had left her and her brother a hotel which had been in her mother's family for three generations. She had often gone there as a child, but in the last eight years she'd been too busy. Now she thought it might be the perfect place to raise her child. But she still wasn't sure she wanted to give up her career in the Air Force.

"No, I don't want you having the baby out there all by yourself. Stay with me, at least until after the baby's born," Jacob said in a persuasive voice.

"But what if I'm transferred before then?"

"I know a few people. I'll have a talk with them…tell them how important it is for you to be here with me. In fact, you can come and live with me. I have plenty of room, and it'll be nice being a family again. And you can have the baby at Langley. The hospital there is first rate."

"Dad, I couldn't impose on you." She knew his house was big enough for the two of them, and a baby, but she wasn't sure she was ready to give up her independence.

"I promise I won't try to run your life. Come on, Sammie, just till after the baby's born. Then if you want to go out west, I won't try to change your mind."

Sam knew that Langley AFB had a great hospital with all the latest technology, and since she wasn't looking forward to having the baby in a place where she didn't have any close friends or family, she agreed to her father's offer.

Jacob was as good as his word, and it wasn't long before Sam was offered a deal by the Air Force. She would stay at the Pentagon until her maternity leave began. And then three months later she would be transferred to Nellis Air Force Base, or more precisely, the Groom Lake Facility known as Area 51.

Three years passed and Sam was still assigned to Area 51, where recently she had begun working on an alien machine that could supposedly create a wormhole in space. She was very busy, but she always managed to spend quality time with her son, Jonathan.

He had a nanny to look after him during the day, but every night Sam would give him his bath and read to him before putting him to bed in their two-bedroom apartment on base. She lived each day to come home to her son, to hear his laughter and see his dark eyes smiling up at her, as he reached out a pudgy hand toward her. He was her life.

On long weekends she would take him to the old hotel in Colorado. It was the place where she'd spent most of her holidays as a child, including her summer breaks from school. Her maternal grandparents had actually lived on the top floor of the hotel, and her mother had literally grown up at Eden Woods. And now the place was fast becoming Jonathan's home. Even before his first birthday he loved the wildlife there. Many days he would sit in his stroller, or on her lap, watching the birds and squirrels for hours on end. It was always a nice break from their life at Nellis, which was in the desert.

So when Jonathan had turned three, Sam had made a very hard, but what she was certain was a very wise decision. As he got older, she felt the boy would need a better place to live…someplace where he could get outside and run around, someplace homey, and someplace far away from the noise and commotion of a military base. So now he would have that, and he would also have a nice inheritance.

Now her son Jonathan Jacob was being raised at Eden Woods by her good friends, Bella and George Baxter, who were also the managers of the property, which included a ski run. One day it would all be Jonathan's, since her brother Mark had given his share of the property to the boy.

Mark, who owned a lucrative plumbing business in San Diego, was doing quite well for himself. He pointed out that his children would inherit his business. He said her son needed an inheritance too, a nest egg for when he got older. He could sell the hotel and use the money to buy another business, or borrow against it for college. Or he could keep it, knowing he would always have a home. Sam was very grateful to her brother for being so generous. She was especially happy to have finally found a connection to Mark.

Because of Mark's hatred of the military, and their father's penchant for trying to run their lives, Mark had been estranged from her and their father for several years. But now, thanks to the birth of her son, she and Mark were getting along splendidly. In fact, he had brought his wife and three kids to the hotel for the Winter holidays this year. The only thing missing was her father, who had bowed out at the last minute. He claimed he simply couldn't get out of a trip to Japan, but she thought he was just using his job as an excuse. She figured he was too afraid he and Mark would get into it and ruin everyone's Christmas. Never the less, they'd had a glorious time, one that reminded her of her childhood when her mother and grandparents were still alive.

In her lab at Area 51 Sam looked up from the graph-like report she'd been studying, and smiled to herself. For Christmas she had bought Little Jon, as he was affectionately called by the Baxters, his first ski suit. And she was planning on teaching him to ski soon. In fact, she couldn't wait to get back to Colorado, so she could get him on a pair of skis!

She just knew he'd take to it like a pro. In many ways he was just like his father, full of spirit and always ready to try something new, especially if it was dangerous. And he looked like Jack too; tall for his age, dark hair and eyes, and dimples in his cheeks when he smiled. He was the light of her life, and spending time with him was the only thing she wanted to do on her days off. So after a long, trying week at work, Sam headed home to Eden Woods.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Sam had just arrived back at the hotel, after an exhausting week at work. She craved the peace and quiet she usually found here, but something felt wrong as she walked into the large foyer. The hotel was bustling, and people were smiling and chatting happily, as they crisscrossed the lobby. That was as it should be, as it was the height of the skiing season, but there was something else…something not right.

Suddenly Sam heard a loud voice above the others. It sounded like someone was involved in a heated argument, and the angry voice was coming from the big front desk. Thinking she might be able to help, she weaved her way through the sea of guests, going directly to the desk to find out what the problem was.

Sam couldn't believe her ears or her eyes, when she saw who was causing the fuss. It was Jack! Even though she'd never known for sure, she'd thought he was dead. But now here he was! But she had no time to wonder how this had happened, as the desk clerk saw her and began babbling. The young man was obviously flustered to have the big boss witness the commotion, so Sam acted as composed as she could and spoke to the young man slowly and pleasantly.

"Is there a problem, Brad?" Jack turned at the sound of her voice, and Sam finally saw his face. She realized immediately that he'd been drinking…a lot. His face was puffy and flushed, his eyes were bloodshot, and he looked awful. But he was alive, and that was all that mattered to her.

"I'm afraid there is. This gentleman doesn't have a reservation. I was just trying to explain that we have no rooms available for tonight or any night this month."

Sam looked at Jack and made a quick decision. "It's alright, Brad, I'll take care of him. Come with me, Sir," she said as she linked her arm through Jack's. Then she picked up his suitcase with the other hand and literally pulled him into the elevator. They went silently to the top floor, to the Penthouse suite.

When Sam ushered Jack out of the old, wire cage elevator, he looked around and then turned to her. "Sssnice, but should we be up here?"

"It's my hotel and my penthouse suite, so the answer is Yes." She went to the door and opened it with a modern key card, one of the security measures she'd had installed when she began coming here regularly with Jonathan. Then she stepped inside the living room of the suite and put his bag down by the wall. But instead of following her, Jack just stood in the hallway and stared at her.

"You never said anything about owning a hotel."

"You never let me know you were alive," she said, wanting to rail at him, but knowing it would do no good. Jack walked in then and looked around. A woman stood up and looked at Jack curiously, as though she thought she recognized him.

"I'll take him now, Belle. I imagine George would like to have dinner with you," Sam told her. She ignored the look Bella was giving Jack, more to offend him than because she didn't want Bella to know who he was.

"George does get a bit snippy if I ignore him," the older woman said with a chuckle. "Will you be joining us for dinner?"

Sam often ate dinner with George and Bella in their little cottage, which sat behind the hotel. Jonathan spent most of his time there, but when Sam was due to arrive, Bella always put the boy to bed up here. He had his own room which was filled with the toys and things Sam had bought for him. There was also an ensuite bathroom.

"No, I don't think so. I think I'll have something sent up. But I'll see you at breakfast."

"Alright then. Good night, Sam," the older woman said. She gave Jack one more furtive glance, before leaving the suite.

Still ignoring Jack, Sam went into Jon's room to check on him. It was after his bedtime, so she wasn't surprised to find that he was sound asleep. She bent down and gently kissed him on the forehead. "Good night. Sleep tight, sweetheart," she murmured, breathing him in. He wasn't a baby anymore, but she still loved how he smelled after his bath. She smiled as he wiggled his little nose in his sleep, his long dark eyelashes fluttering at whatever his young mind was dreaming about. And then she went back to deal with the problem waiting for her in the other room.

She wanted to get Jack sober, and then she wanted to have a serious talk with him. So she went to the sideboard in the dining area, where she began filling the coffee maker.

Jack had been cruising the living room, looking at some very interesting photos, and now he really wanted to see who was in the other room. So while Sam had her back turned, he crept into the bedroom. What he saw there sobered him up in an instant. A boy, who looked just like Charlie, was asleep in the bed!

For two full minutes Jack just stood there examining the boy with his eyes. He guessed the boy was about three years old. So he did the math and decided the boy could be his. Plus, he had O'Neill written all over him, from his straight, unruly brown hair, to his double-jointed thumbs. And Jack bet that, if he could see his eyes, they'd be dark brown too.

Sam turned on the coffee maker. Then, as she turned around and realized Jack wasn't there, she panicked. Was bringing him up here the right thing to do?

It didn't take her long to find him bending over Jon's bed. So she walked up behind her unexpected guest in the darkened room, and stood at his elbow as he stared down at their son.

"Who's this?"

"His name is Jonathan Jacob Carter. He's my son," she said as she reached down to straighten the covers, which were always getting messed up. He was a restless sleeper, so there were railings on the sides of his new twin bed, to keep him from falling out.

"He's my son too," Jack stated, and Sam looked at him and nodded. This was something she'd never dreamed would happen. But now it had, and she couldn't even imagine what it might mean to her and Jonathan.

"Why didn't you tell me you were pregnant?" To Jack it seemed like a lifetime ago when they'd been together. And then she'd left Germany, and he had figured it was for the best. Now he knew that wasn't the case. If he'd only known!

"Why? What good would it have done? You already had a wife and son." He walked past her and out into the living room, and she followed him. She had to make him see that what she'd done was for the best…for everyone involved.

"You said you wanted your marriage to work. You wanted a good family life for Charlie. He's had that, hasn't he?"

"Yes, in some ways I guess he has." He and Sara were still together, but theirs was not a happy marriage, and he often wondered if their son realized they were just trying to hang on because of him. Was it fair to him? Should they have given up on their marriage years ago? And if they had, would he and Sam be together now? Jack didn't know the answers, but he did know one thing; he still loved the woman standing there facing him, and the look of accusation on her face was killing him.

"But Sam, I still love you," he admitted, and Sam's heart jumped up into her throat. She was suddenly very afraid of what this would mean for her and her son.

'No! This can't be happening! Not again!' She knew it would be wrong to think they still had a chance, but with Jack's dark eyes staring into hers, she could barely think, let alone make a rational decision.

So when he rushed to her and took her in his arms, she was swept off her feet once again. In the next instant she was laying on her back on the sofa, and Jack was laying on top of her. There was no subtlety in his actions, just a fierce determination to make her his once again, and she was too weak, and too much in love, to prevent it.

His big hands, which she knew could do things to her that no man had done before or since, swept over her body, divesting her of her trousers and panties, and then just as suddenly he stood up and backed away from her.

"Um…I'm sorry," he mumbled, and then he lurched toward the front door of the apartment. But Sam ran after him and stopped him from leaving. With all her might she clung to him, turning him until his back was pressed against the door and she was pressed against him.

"No! Don't you dare go! Don't leave me now," she pleaded, her love for him too great to ignore. She brought one leg up around his hips and pressed her bare sex to his swollen crotch, so she could feel the part of him he was denying her. She knew this wasn't the time or the place for what she wanted right now, but she was desperate to know he still wanted her as much as she wanted him. She needed to feel him inside her. She needed him to fill the void he had left behind.

"Please, make love to me, Jack," she begged, as she stared deep into his eyes. She clung to him with one arm, while her other hand went to the waistband of his pants. Her fingers fumbled with the button for what seemed like forever, before he began helping her. And as soon as he had unzipped his beige cords, she reached inside, slipping her hand into his shorts.

Jack turned them around then, slamming her back against the wood of the old, paneled door. He could feel the smooth silky skin of her small hand as she worked his cock, massaging and tugging on it until he felt ready to pop. Consideration for her needs was the last thing on his mind, as he lifted her other leg up and slammed into her, burying himself inside her as deeply as he could go. Then he pulled her legs up even high and slammed into her again, the old door taking a beating as he pounded into her willing body as hard as he could.

Sam's mind barely registered the fact that this old building had walls and floors which were thin by today's standards. In fact, she could barely think at all, as Jack fucked her hard against the door. But when he came, she was glad he wasn't loud, instead biting her shoulder to keep from crying out.

Carefully he pulled out of her and set her down on her feet. Backing away, he turned and quickly fastened up his trousers. Then he walked over to where the coffee pot was gurgling and puffing, the cycle complete. He had just found out he had another son, he had confessed he still loved Sam, and he had fucked her hard, if not good, all in the time it took to make a pot of coffee. He thought there must be a joke in there somewhere, or at least some irony, but right now his mind was too messed up to see it.

So he found the cups and helped himself to some coffee, while Sam went to the bathroom. He hoped that when she came out, he would be able to tell her how sorry he was about everything.

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Somehow she had to put her feelings for Jack aside and remember that her son was the one who was important. She wouldn t let him play second fiddle to another child. Jack already had a son, and he had a wife, and she wasn t about to be the other woman either! True, she had given in to his advances again, but she hoped she could be stronger than that. She had to be!

I did what I had to do for Jonathan s sake, Jack. When you ve finished your coffee, you have to leave. I ll see to it that you get a room for the night at the hotel down the road, she said as she tried to tie the bathrobe she had put on. But her hands were shaking so hard, that all she could do was hold it shut.

Jack refilled his cup and looked at her. He thought she looked frightened. I hope I didn t hurt you. I never meant to hurt you. He knew he should tell her much more than that, like why he was here without his family, why he had gotten wasted, and why he d been so desperate for her. But his feelings were overwhelming, and he didn t know what to say first, or how to say it. So he gulped down some coffee without even tasting it.

I believe you, but that doesn t matter now. All that matters is my son. I can t let this us ruin the good things in his life.

So, just like that you re sending me away? You let me fuck you, and then you re sending me packing? I m the boy s father. Don t you think I deserve more than that?! he yelled at her.

I might have thought so four years ago. But now? Sam shook her head. No. Now I have to put you where you belong in the past. We can never be together again. I won t put myself through that again. I won t put my son through it! She stared at him, feeling the anger boiling up inside her. A part of her hated him for what he had done to her, for not leaving his wife and marrying her, for not letting her know he was alive, for everything that had happened between them.

Jack set down his cup, having lost interest in the coffee. He felt angry, cheated by life, cheated by her. She should have told him she was pregnant. She shouldn t have left Germany without telling him! He wanted this son to be part of his life, just the way Charlie was. He wanted Sam to be a part of his life too. He didn t want to lose her all over again. But how could he make her see that he really wanted her?

His simple mind went to the only thing he knew to do, the thing he knew how to do well, if her past reactions to him were any indication. In two long strides he was standing toe to toe with her, his hands gripping her upper arms hard, while his firm, thin lips ground against her softer, fuller ones. She opened her mouth to protest, and he pushed his tongue inside, tasting her sweet breath. A moan escaped both their lips.

For over three long years, even while he was held captive in Iraq, he had dreamed of kissing her like this. His dreams had kept him going all those weeks, and then he d been rescued and hospitalized with severe dehydration and infected cuts where he d been beaten. And all through his recovery he had continued to think and dream about Sam and what they d had, and what they could have, until one day he realized he couldn t go on being married to someone else.

He had planned to ask Sara for a divorce, but when he got home she was in the hospital. She d had a hysterectomy, and now she was severely depressed. The doctor said his coming home might be the one thing that saved her sanity, so Jack sat by her bed for days and nights on end, doing the right thing, being the better man. And when she came home from the hospital, Jack took more leave time, so he could be there to take care of her. Charlie, who had been staying with Sara s father, came home to be with them. But the boy seemed changed somehow, affected by his mother s illness and by Jack s lengthy absences, so Jack made it his mission to make the boy smile again.

He took a teaching job at the Air Force Academy, which was just thirty miles from their home. He came home every night, and spent every weekend with Sara and the boy. Jack tried his best to give them both the life he felt they deserved. But no matter how hard he tried, Sara always found fault with him, with the things he wanted to do, or with the things he said.

They d had a ski trip planned for weeks, but at the last minute Sara decided she didn t feel like going. And without telling him, she had shipped Charlie off to her father s house in Denver. And that was why Jack had driven to Eden Woods by himself, and why he d stopped at the first bar in town and drank till he could barely walk.

And then he had come up here and used Sam s body like it was his own personal plaything. Without any consideration for her feelings, he had fucked her hard and fast. And now he expected her to forgive him? He knew he was kidding himself. Sam might have loved him at one time. Hell, she might even love him now, but she wasn t going to let anyone ruin her son s happiness. She wasn t going to let him fuck with her and then toss her aside either. She would leave him again, like she had in Germany, unless he left her first.

He got it now. He just didn t want to accept it. He felt angry and hurt! He wanted to make her say she loved him! If she would tell him just one more time, then he would leave. So he walked her backward to the sofa and pushed her down on the cushions, shoving her legs apart with his, covering her body with his. He held himself on straight arms and looked down at her, needing to feel in control.

Her robe fell open, revealing her naked lower half, and Jack s brain froze, while his libido took charge of the situation.

There s only one thing to do with a naked lady, and that s fuck her brains out, Jack, it said, and so he tried.

When he was finished, Sam looked at him with pain and disappointment in her eyes. She had let him take advantage of her again, and it had to end here and now!

I want you to leave and never come back, she said, as she held back her tears. She wouldn t let him break her. She had more pride than that! I have a good life with my son. He doesn t need a part-time father who can t make up his mind what he wants.

That s not fair, Sam.

I ll tell you what isn t fair, Jack. It isn t fair that you keep coming back into my life, expecting me to forgive you. It isn t fair for you to have this effect on me! Her voice quavered and her body shook. She wasn t sure she could go on without breaking down, but she had to try. Get out and don t come back! she yelled, pointing at the door with one hand, while pulling her robe closed with the other.

Figuring he deserved to lose her and their son, Jack straightened his clothes and left.

Sam pulled the robe tighter around her body and backed herself into the corner of the sofa, sobbing. She felt like she had won the battle but lost the war. Jack had left her for good now. She d never see him again, never feel his strong arms around her, never see that feral look in his eyes when he rose over her. How could she go on without him?

Part of her knew it was for the best, while the other part felt disappointed that he hadn t tried harder to change her mind. Even though he d been angry, his actions had been those of a man in love, she felt sure of it. He had cried out her name when he came, something he d never done before, and she felt certain it was because he really did love her. That fact made her cry for him and for her, for the life they could never have together, and for her son who would never know his father. Was it all her fault, because she couldn t be satisfied with having just a part of him? She knew other women who settled for even less, but she had pushed him away, and now she would have no part of him.

Jack drove back to Colorado Springs to his wife and son, his mind in turmoil. Though it was hard to keep thoughts of Sam and her son from clouding his thinking, he somehow managed. And by the time he reached home, he was determined to be a better husband and a better father to the family he had. He knew Sara would take Charlie away from him if she found out he d had an affair, and then he d have no one. But that didn t mean he loved Sam and the boy any less. He simply couldn t have them in his life.

And so he settled into a routine. He worked hard each day and came home to his wife and son each night, and things seemed to get a little better. Some days it almost seemed like Sara wanted him, appreciated him, loved him. But then there were days and weeks when he could sense disinterest, and even hatred, in the way she treated him. And the worst part was that he never knew why she had stopped loving him. When had her feelings changed and why? He didn t know the answer, so he did what he could to make Charlie s life better, while trying to maintain peace with Sara.

And he worried less about Jonathan s life or at least he tried to. He knew without a doubt that Sam would be a good mother to Jonathan, that the boy would have everything he needed, including a loving home life. But there was still a big part of him that wished he could know his youngest son. So, to keep from dwelling on what could never be, Jack tried to concentrate on his life with Sara and Charlie. And as time passed he thought he had succeeded in giving Charlie the life he deserved .until one day in the Spring of Charlie s eleventh year.

He and Sara had just had another one of their arguments, this one about whether or not Charlie should be allowed to play football. All the boys were signing up to play in the new football league, and Jack didn t see why his son shouldn t be one of them. And Charlie want to do it. But as usual, when it came to something she felt was too dangerous, Sara had put her foot down and refused to budge. And Charlie had stomped away from them and into the house, slamming the screen door behind him.

You need to have a talk with him, Jack. He shouldn t be allowed to walk away in the middle of a discussion.

I think he was tired of discussing it. You re always so afraid for him to do things. Why can t you just let him experience what life has to offer?

What? The way you have? Do I need to remind you of your knee and your back? And what about that shrapnel in your leg? Is that what you want for our son? Pain all his life?

Aw, Sara, I m not that bad off. Besides, you have to put up with the bad stuff in order to get the good out of life.

What kind of stupid philosophy is that? I swear, if it was up to you, you d let him do anything he wanted to do, she chuckled. Jack sat down next to her on the steps and put his arm around her. Lately things had been better between them, at least when they weren t discussing Charlie and sports. He gave her a squeeze.

I promise I ll keep a close eye on him. And I ll make sure he has all the latest protective gear the best helmet money can buy.

Sara looked up at him and smiled an ironic smile, as if to say she knew he d overrule her. Okay, but if he breaks anything, it ll be your fault, Jack O Neill.

Just then they heard the sharp cracking sound of a single gunshot.

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

AN: This part begins approximately five years after the events at Eden Woods.

The place looked pretty much the same to him, but the face of the man sitting behind the desk was one he didn't know.

"Why was I brought here, Sir? I'm retired." All he had been told was that a General Hammond wanted to see him, down under Cheyenne Mountain. He knew what was being stored down there. He just didn't know what they wanted with him.

"So they tell me, but they also told me you're the only CO with any experience when it comes to the stargate."

Just then Jack saw two men being led into the briefing room next door. Them he knew. "Why are my men here?"

"They're not your men anymore, Colonel…unless you decide to accept the offer I'm about to make you, that is," the bald general told him. Jack turned to him and focused on the man's eyes, which were pale blue in color. Jack thought he seemed like a man who could be kind, but also like a man who was used to getting his way.

"And what offer would that be, Sir?"

"A chance to redeem yourself with your superiors," he replied. Jack had some idea to what he was referring, but he decided to play dumb. He did that a lot.

"Sir?"

"Some aliens came here through the stargate last night. I want you to find out where they came from and if they're any threat to Earth. Oh, and one of the alien's eyes glowed."

"I killed that bastard Ra, if that's what you're getting at."

"I know that, but I also know you didn't destroy the stargate on Abydos like you said you did. You falsified your report, Colonel.

"Well, maybe, but I had a good reason, Sir. The people on Abydos are…."

"Save it! Doctor Jackson has been in touch with us…just recently in fact."

Jack was somewhat shocked, but then he recalled the man to whom Hammond referred. Just because he'd told Daniel Jackson not to use the stargate didn't mean he had followed Jack's orders. Daniel had been really bad at following orders. It was one trait they had in common; Jack was a bit of a rebel too…always had been.

"And what did he have to say?" Jack asked, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"He says the stargate can go anywhere…that is anywhere there's another stargate, and he thinks there may be a lot of them out there. But right now we need to find out where these particular aliens came from, so we can make sure they don't come here again."

"So, let me get this straight…you expect me to find these aliens and take 'em out, even though there's no way of knowing where they came from?" This was beginning to sound more like a wild goose chase than a duck hunt, and a part of him thought that might be the perfect way for him to beat the boredom he was feeling each day.

Retirement hadn't turned out the way he'd hoped. After all, how could his life ever be good again, when his precious son was dead, and his wife of fifteen years had filed for divorce? As for Sam and Jonathan…well, he tried not to think about them. Sam had made it clear how she felt about him, and he couldn't blame her. He just hoped that wherever they were, they were happy.

"On the contrary, Colonel. The video tape of what occurred in the gate room last night shows the lighted symbols on the stargate. Doctor Jackson assures me that reversing those symbols will take you to where the aliens were when they dialed the stargate on their end."

"He does?"

"Yes, Jack, I do," came the reply of the long-haired man standing in the doorway. Jack spun around and came face to face with a man he thought he'd never see again.

"Daniel!"

"Hi, Jack. It's good to see you."

Daniel held out his hand, but Jack ignored it. "I figured you were dead by now." A part of Jack wanted to say he was glad to see Daniel, but something inside him wouldn't allow him the freedom. When his wife had told him why she was leaving, she said he had become cold-hearted and distant. He knew she was right, but he didn't know how to change. There had been a time when he'd been able to express his feelings, show affection for people, but that part of him had died in Germany a lifetime ago, or so it seemed.

"No, not quite yet," the younger man said, smiling, and then he looked at General Hammond. "Sir, I know I'm not military, but I want to go with Colonel O'Neill to find these aliens."

"I'll keep that in mind, Doctor. I've already chosen someone to be your science officer on the team, Jack."

"General, I really don't think that's necessary. Hell, Jackson can go with me, if you insist on me taking a geek along," Jack said rudely, without consideration for Daniel's feelings. By the looks of things Daniel hadn't changed one iota. Apparently the man didn't require a computer, or even any books to remain geeky! His eye glasses were still taped together on the bridge of his nose, his hair was still long and unkempt, and he was still wearing those silly robes the Abydonians had dressed him in.

"I am willing to go, Sir," Daniel affirmed excitedly.

"I believe you, son, and I'll take that into consideration. I've set a meeting for zero one hundred hours with the fourth member of your team, Jack, so see to it that you and your men are not late. Until then, you're dismissed."

"Doctor Jackson, perhaps you'd like to shower and freshen up before having lunch with me in my quarters?" Hammond said, his nose wrinkling as he escorted Daniel out of the office.

Jack just stood there and watched the two men leave. The meeting wasn't for another hour, so he went into the briefing room. Kawalsky and Ferretti stood up when they saw him.

"Colonel!" the thinner of the two, Ferretti, greeted him happily, as he shook Jack's hand.

"Jack!" Charlie Kawalsky shouted, a big grin on his rugged face. "I never thought I'd serve with you again." He slapped Jack on the shoulder.

"I never thought I'd say this, but it's good to see you guys," Jack said somewhat grudgingly.

"So…I guess we're going through the stargate again. That was a pretty big rush as I recall," Kawalsky remarked as he looked down at the big metal ring. The men stood by the big window, looking down into the embarkation room.

"Yah, it was." Jack could recall the severe cold and the feeling of exhilaration as he was flung out into space. It was like riding a roller coaster through a blizzard, only without the benefit of an actual roller coaster. Needless to say, arriving on the other side was a lot like being shot out of a canon.

"Do you know who the fourth member of the team is?" Ferretti asked, looking at Jack.

"No, but Hammond said he's a scientist. And Jackson's begging to tag along."

"Great! Just what we need…two men to baby sit. That'll be worse than last time," Charlie responded derisively.

"Speaking of Doctor Jackson, remember that girl who tried to seduce him? What was her name?" Ferretti asked.

"Don't remember, don't care," Jack responded. The less he thought about women, the better he felt. "Let's go get something to eat before the meeting. I'm starving!" Jack exclaimed, and then he led the men out of the briefing room.

In the crowded commissary the guys filled their trays, and then they looked for a place to sit. Luckily a group of men wearing white lab coats got up just then, and Jack, Charlie and Lou claimed the vacated table.

"Bunch of geeks," Ferretti said under his breath.

"Yah, the place is crawling with 'em," Jack remarked.

"This chow is really good," Charlie said with his mouth full of mashed potatoes and meatloaf.

"You'd eat anything that doesn't move," Lou responded with a grin.

"Like you wouldn't?" Kawalsky replied.

"Shut up and eat, you two. We've only got fifty minutes until the briefing," Jack reminded the bickering men. It was like old times, and a part of him was enjoying the camaraderie, but his CO side couldn't help wanting to control the situation. It was just who he was.

They ate in silence for a few minutes, until Charlie saw something which attracted his attention even more than good food.

"Whoa, look at that bogie at twelve o'clock," he said, eyeing the tall female officer who had just walked in. She got in line by the coffee machine, and he picked up his cup. "Time for more coffee," he said, and then he sauntered over and stood next to her.

"Oh oh, he's at it again," Ferretti commented as he watched his friend.

Jack, who was seated with his back to the room, turned his head to see what had attracted Charlie's attention. What he saw was Charlie standing dangerously close to a tall, shapely blonde wearing Air Force dress blues. Jack smiled and shook his head. He'd be lucky if he didn't lose his best man before they even got to the mission briefing.

"Would you look at those legs, Jack!" Lou said almost hungrily.

"Forget it, Lou. She's way out of your league…Charlie's too," he surmised.

"How do you know?" He sounded hurt, but Jack wasn't about to lie to his friend to make him feel better.

"Look at her, Lou," Jack said, looking back over his shoulder at the leggy beauty. At least he figured she was a beauty. Those legs and that perfect figure could hardly belong to someone with an ugly face!

Just then the woman said something to Kawalsky. Then she turned her back to him, paid for her coffee and walked out, leaving Charlie to stare after her with his tongue hanging out. He came back to the table with his tail between his legs, and sat down. Jack could tell he was feeling pretty low, so he decided to cut him some slack. But Lou wasn't as thoughtful.

"She shot you down, didn't she," he remarked knowingly.

"Naw, I just wasn't interested, that's all."

"Why not? She too good for you?" Lou asked, giving Jack a conspiratorial look.

"No. For your information she's not my type," Charlie replied defensively. "I asked her what she did, but I couldn't understand a word she said."

"Foreign born?" Ferretti asked.

"No; scientist."

"Great! Another scientist…just what this place needs," Jack responded disgustedly.

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter nine

After he finished eating, Jack got a uniform from the supply clerk, and then he changed clothes in the officer's locker room. He was seated at the briefing room table at the appointed time. Ferretti and Kawalsky were there too, as well as General Hammond and the Assistant to the Chief of the Air Force, a Colonel Chambers, who Jack thought looked like a poster boy for the Air Force.

"In light of your willingness to serve for a indefinite period of time, you are being promoted to full colonel," the handsome young colonel announced. Jack was going to say that he hadn't promised any such thing, when Colonel Chambers continued.

"What's the delay, General? I have a plane to catch." He clearly wanted to get back to his cushy desk job in DC, which made Jack wonder how the man would react to a trip through the stargate. The image of Chambers with frosty eyebrows, puking up his guts on the other end of a wormhole, made him smile.

"We're just waiting for the science officer who has been chosen for the team, Colonel, and then we'll get started," Hammond answered.

"Where's he transferring from?" Jack asked, as he started to open the file which had been placed in front of him. He hadn't had time to look at the file yet, and now he was curious.

"SHE is transferring from the Pentagon, Sir," replied a feminine voice.

Jack looked toward the doorway where he could see a blonde head entering the room. He stood up, ready to meet the scientist he was going to be stuck with.

"Samantha Carter, reporting for duty, Sir," she said as she came to a halt on the opposite side of the table from Jack. She stood at attention and gave him a perfect salute.

Jack's mouth fell open as he stared at the pretty face of the young woman he had loved and lost, not once but twice, while Ferretti elbowed his friend Kawalsky in the arm. Both men smiled as they realized it was the woman from the commissary.

Sam tried not to stare, or to appear as though she knew the man standing across from her. She didn't want anyone to suspect they'd met before, let alone had a relationship…a very personal relationship. She really wanted this job, and she didn't want anything to ruin it for her. She figured it was just her luck that Jack was assigned to the SGC, but if she had to work with HIM, she would! She'd do whatever it took for a chance to go through the stargate. Four years ago she'd been on the team that had figured out how to get enough power to the ancient machine without overloading the circuits, so she figured she had a right to go.

So now Sam held her breath, praying that Jack wouldn't shoot her down before SG-1 even got off the ground.

"Sir, I really don't think I need another scientist on my team," Jack complained, just short of whining.

"Another scientist?" Hammond asked.

"Well, I sorta figured Doctor Jackson would be joining my team. After all, no one knows more about the stargate than him."

"But I thought you were opposed to working with Doctor Jackson again? Your report wasn't very favorable where he was concerned, Colonel," Hammond pointed out.

"I've never been very good expressing myself on paper, Sir," Jack stated, and Kawalsky snorted a laugh. Jack knew what Charlie was thinking. The truth was, he wasn't very good at expressing himself in words, no matter whether they were written or spoken. It was true, but he gave Charlie an angry look anyway, one that said he'd better shut his mouth and keep it shut, or Jack was going to shut it for him!

"What I meant to say is, Daniel did an admirable job, considering his lack of military training, Sir," Jack said, hoping to correct his previous unflattering statements about the geek.

"Sir, I hate to disagree with you, but I have more experience with the stargate than Doctor Jackson," Sam announced, as she bravely stared at Jack. Her heart was hammering in her chest now, but she knew she couldn't give up, no matter how nervous she was about confronting him.

"Oh?" Jack asked, lifting both eyebrows. He didn't know where she'd been assigned after she left Germany, so this was news to him. They hadn't really talked much when he saw her at Eden Woods, so he wanted to hear more.

"I was working on the stargate two years before you and Doctor Jackson went to Abydos. I was on the team that figured out how to get enough electricity to the gate without knocking out the power for hundreds of miles around. I wrote the computer program that's used to dial the stargate. It's all in the report. You should read it…SIR," she said somewhat rudely.

"I plan to. I just got here too, Captain," he replied icily. No matter what he felt about her on a personal level, he wasn't about to let her ignore his rank.

"Your expertise is duly noted, Captain, and I still feel you would be an asset to the team. But if Colonel O'Neill knows of some reason why he feels you're not the person for the job, I'd like to hear it," Hammond stated. He looked from Jack to Sam and back again, while everyone waited.

Jack could read the urgency in Sam's face. She really wanted this job, and she was obviously well qualified. So even though he was worried about having to work with her on a daily basis, did he have the right to keep her off the team? And what reason, besides the truth, could he use anyway? He certainly couldn't tell Hammond that he had known Carter intimately. Or could he? After all, they hadn't been in the same chain of command back then. He hadn't been her CO when they were having the affair. They wouldn't get into trouble for something that had happened in the past. But did he want to hurt her chances of ever working at the SGC?

"Colonel O'Neill? Do you know of some reason why Captain Carter shouldn't be assigned to your team?" Hammond asked.

"No, Sir." Jack looked at Sam. He thought he could see her letting out a sigh of relief, and he felt good about his decision. She raised her eyes to his for a moment, but then she looked down, and Jack turned his attention back to another topic. "Sirs, I still think Doctor Jackson would be an asset to the team. He's dealt with these aliens before. He knows what to expect."

"I'll take that into consideration and give you my final answer by the end of the day. You should plan to embark on our first mission tomorrow at zero seven hundred hours. We need to find those aliens who came through the stargate and assess the danger they pose to Earth."

"Yes, Sir!" Jack didn't know why, but suddenly he felt eager to get back to work.

The meeting adjourned, and while Hammond went to the surface to see Colonel Chambers off, the others went to the commissary for coffee. But first Jack swung by the guest quarters to find Daniel.

"You want me on your team?"

"Yep! It's all set. Let's go get some coffee. The others are waiting." Daniel followed him like a playful puppy, talking about this and that. Jack was thankful when they reached the commissary, but he was very disappointed to find that Sam wasn't there.

"Where'd our resident geek disappear to?" Jack asked casually.

"I'm right here, Jack," Daniel replied, looking puzzled.

"No, I mean Carter. Oh, that's right; you haven't met her yet."

"Her?"

"Yeah, Jackson, she's a really hot babe with legs up to her…"

"Charlie, what have I told you about that sort of talk?" Jack said, giving the Major a disapproving look.

"Sorry, Jack, but you gotta admit she's hot," he said, lowering his voice.

"I didn't really notice."

"Yeah, right," Ferretti remarked under his breath.

Jack ignored the little Italian and turned to Daniel. "How about some coffee, Daniel?"

"Yes, thank you, I could use some."

"I mean go get me some coffee," Jack ordered, and the other two men snickered.

"Oh! Sure thing!" Daniel jumped up and practically broke his neck getting over to the serving line, where he proceeded to fill two cups.

"He hasn't changed much, has he?" Charlie commented.

"No, I don't suppose he has," Jack agreed.

"So why do you really want him on the team?"

"He could be useful."

"I thought maybe you were trying to get Hammond to substitute him for a certain captain with really blue eyes, hair that looks like spun gold, and legs that could…"

"Kawalsky, what did I just tell you?!" Jack growled.

"Alright. I promise not to talk about her that way…at least for today," he added with a mischievous grin.

Jack sipped his coffee and stared at the table, wondering if he'd just made the biggest….strike that…the second biggest mistake of his life. If Kawalsky kept this up, what was it going to be like every day, working with Sam in their midst? Would he be able to concentrate on his job?

Jack didn't know what would happen. He just knew that, even with this huge question hanging over his head, he felt more excited and more alive than he'd felt in a long, long time. Sam was here in Colorado Springs! Did that mean that his son was here too?

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

The following morning everyone on the team was ready to depart on time. So, after Hammond wished them "God's speed", they were off on their first mission as SG-1.

They hoped they could locate the aliens and find out more about them, like how many there were and what they had planned for Earth. They also hoped to retrieve a soldier who had been abducted from the gate room.

Spotting a town on top of a nearby hill, Jack decided it was a good place to start. He told Kawalsky and Ferretti to wait at the stargate and to notify him by radio if they saw the Goa'uld or his men, and then he, Sam and Daniel started toward the town.

"I want to get in and get out. We're not here to make friends with the locals. We're only here to find out what this Goa'uld is up to. Is that clear, Daniel?"

"Yes, Jack. You don't have to worry about me," he replied agreeably, but Jack just harrumphed.

It wasn't long before they heard footsteps approaching from behind, and Jack ordered Daniel and Sam to hide in the shrubbery beside the footpath. They watched as a group of robed men came walking up the path. One was carrying a staff, but it didn't appear to be a weapon. Never the less, Jack and Sam remained out of sight.

But suddenly Daniel jumped up and confronted the men.

"Hi! My name is Daniel Jackson." The men immediately bowed down to Daniel.

"No, you don't have to bow to us. We're just men like yourselves," Daniel said, helping the man to rise, while Jack and Sam came out from their hiding place.

"Daniel, what didn't you understand about not making friends with the natives?" Jack asked, while he kept his rifle pointed at the men. Sam also kept her weapon on them.

"Jack, you don't always have to expect the worst from people," he said, placing is hand on the barrel of Jack's gun and pushing down. "I think these people are priests. I bet they're heading to that building on the hill. I think it's some sort of temple."

One of the men was speaking to Daniel, and Daniel was trying to communicate with him in another language, gesturing with his hands.

"Chulac!" the man suddenly exclaimed.

"Yes, Chulac!" Daniel replied, grinning from ear to ear. "I think he's saying the name of the town is Chulac."

Then the native asked Daniel something, and Daniel turned to Jack with a puzzled look on his face.

"What'd he say?"

"He wants to know if we're here to choose."

"Sure! We could choose," Jack told the stranger in a friendly voice. He could make nice just like the next guy, but he still wished Daniel had listened to him. "Just what the hell are we supposed to choose, Daniel?"

"I have no idea, but I think he's inviting us to walk with them," he replied.

"Of course he is. Next time listen to me, or you'll be off the team so fast you're head will spin," Jack threatened.

Sam kept quiet. She understood why Jack was upset with Doctor Jackson, but she did wish he wouldn't be so rude to the man. After all, the doctor wasn't in the military. He couldn't be expected to behave like a soldier.

Once they reached Chulac, they were ushered into a large room where a banquet was taking place. There were about twenty people seated on the floor around a long table. The people watched the members of SG-1 as they were shown to the far end of the table, the only place where there was room for them to sit.

Daniel and Sam sat down on the floor, while Jack just stood there. His right knee had been bothering him a lot lately, and sitting like a pretzel was not something he cared to do.. But he finally sat down sideways, with his long legs bent at the knee. In this position his knee didn't hurt much, but his back started hurting right away, so he prayed this shindig would be over with soon.

Suddenly a loud horn sounded, and everyone in the room got on their knees and pressed their foreheads to the floor. And then a man shouted, "All hail our might ruler, Apophis!"

"When in Rome," Daniel said, looking up at Jack who had gotten to his feet. Both Daniel and Sam got on their knees with their heads bowed, but Jack just stood there waiting, one hand on his P-90.

Just then six men wearing suits of armor marched into the room. Jack had seen weapons like theirs before. One of the staff blasters, as he called them, had been found with the alien soldier in the gate room, and Ra's men had used them on Abydos. Jack knew the damage they could do, so he got down on one knee, but he didn't lower his head.

The armed men went and stood at intervals around the room. Next four scantily clad men entered the room, and they were carrying a covered chair in between them, the type of chair Jack had only seen in old Hollywood movies. The men stopped and put down the chair, and a man and a woman got out of it. Jack thought the guy looked gay with his feminine dress, sandals and eye makeup.

Jack thought the woman looked a lot better, although she certainly wasn't his type. She was too wan for his liking. He preferred a woman with some life in her, a woman like…. No, he couldn't even allow himself to think of HER that way. Jack quickly put up a wall between his thoughts of Sam as a woman and his thoughts of Sam as a soldier. Then he vowed this would be the last time he got the two mixed up.

The couple stood looking at the partygoers, but still the people kept their heads down. Jack, who by this time was as mad as a wet hornet, stared at the prissy-looking man in the fancy white and gold robes. He wished there weren't half a dozen armed men in the room, because he really wanted to waste this effeminate piece of galactic trash in the worst way. Jack was certain he was the Goa'uld who had come to the SGC, the one whose men had shot up the place. And by the looks of her, the blonde on his arm was their missing sergeant.

"Jack, get down!" Sam hissed, tugging on his pant leg. Jack looked down at her. It was the first time she'd called him by anything but Sir, and the sound of his name on her lips made him want to ask her forgiveness for everything he'd done wrong. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could get one word out, one of the armed men came forward and grabbed Jack's rifle. Then he held it up, studying it.

"What kind of weapon is this?"

"None of your business! Now give it back!" Jack reached for it, but another guard hit Jack across the face with the business end of his blast staff. Jack sank to his knees, holding one hand over his bleeding nose.

Seeing the commotion, Apophis spoke to the guards, who came forward, half dragging, half prodding Jack, until he was on his knees in front of the two Goa'ulds. Now everyone in the room was watching, as Jack pushed himself to his feet.

"You do not belong here. Who are you and where are you from?" the male asked.

"I'm Jack from Kansas, and unless I'm mistaken you are the Wicked Witch of the West," Jack replied.

Sam shut her eyes and prayed that the Goa'uld wouldn't kill him right then and there. She couldn't believe how blasé Jack was in the face of danger, how little he seemed to care about his safety.

"Kill him!" the Goa'uld shouted.

"Wait! Wait. You don't wanna do that. This man has valuable knowledge about who killed your enemy, Ra," Daniel said as he ran forward.

Jack closed his eyes, wishing he'd been in the wilds of Minnesota when the Air Force came looking for him. They wouldn't have found him, and he'd be sitting on his dock right now, sipping a cold one.

Wanting desperately to help, and feeling she didn't have much choice, Sam followed Daniel to the front of the room. Two guards stepped forward and aimed their staff weapons at her and Daniel now, but the Goa'uld ordered the men to back off. Then he turned his attention back to Daniel.

"What is this knowledge of which you speak?" Apophis asked.

"I think I should let him tell you, since it was his victory. Go on, Jack."

Jack gave Daniel a look that would have made Daniel's blood run cold, if he hadn't been so scared already.

"Speak!" the Goa'uld shouted.

"I killed him. I killed Ra," Jack replied, hoping that he understood what Daniel wanted him to say, and that his idea would buy them some time. And apparently Daniel was right.

"Then I owe you a debt of gratitude. What do you wish? Perhaps a slave? I have many men and women…children too, if that is your wish."

"Oh, I don't doubt that," Jack said under his breath. Then more loudly he said, "I wish for a woman…THAT woman," Jack said, nodding toward the blonde sergeant. The woman looked at him without any sign that she recognized him, but that didn't keep Jack from hoping she could still be saved.

The Goa'uld laughed. "Surely you joke. She is host to my queen!"

"Can't you find another host for your queen? This one's so skinny. Why would you want her, when you can have a much rounder woman…someone with some curves? You know, big tits and a nice ass," Jack suggested.

The Goa'uld considered his mate's new host for a minute, and then he looked over at Sam. "Hmmm, I see what you mean. I will take that one instead, and you may have this one."

"Oh, no, this one's not available. She's spoken for," Jack said as he held his arm across Sam's body.

Sam held onto Jack's arm, pulling it against her breasts. His touch felt good, it felt right, but the moment ended all too soon when Apophis became angry and yelled at Jack.

"You have no right to say who is available and who is not!" the Goa'uld shouted. "I grow tired of your disobedience! Take them to the dungeon!"

"Wait! I thought you said you'd owed me?" Jack asked, but he was ignored, as the guards poked and prodded them with their staffs.

The three members of SG-1 where herded out of the banquet hall by three guards, including the one who had shown an interest in Jack's gun. And soon they were down in the basement of the huge fortress, where the halls were dark and damp.

Jack figured that if he didn't try to get away now, he might never get a chance, so he jumped the guard ahead of him, put his arm around the man's throat and quickly turned the man around. Then, using the man's staff weapon, he shot one of the other guards. But the third guard managed to hit Daniel on the head with the end of his weapon, and the young archaeologist dropped like a sack of potatoes. Then the guard aimed his staff weapon at Daniel's head.

"I will kill him, if you do not do as I say," the man said. He was a big man, and he had a very scary face, and Jack decided not to mess with him. So Jack let go of the man he was holding, and the two guards pushed Jack and Sam inside a cell. And after the big guy dumped Daniel's body at their feet, he locked the cell door. Then the alien soldiers picked up their dead companion and left.

While Sam tended to Daniel's injury, Jack checked the cell door. "Sure wish I had some C-4 right now," he said to no one in particular. They'd had to leave their packs in the banquet room, so now they had nothing to help them escape.

Daniel was already coming to, and Sam decided that no serious damage had been done to Doctor Jackson's head. So she went to the door to see if she could unlock it. Fortunately she had a bobby pin in her hair that she thought just might do the trick.

"Well, this is just peachy," Jack said disgustedly. But he smiled when he saw Sam open the door. "Atta girl! Come on, Danny Boy, it's time to go," Jack said, shaking Daniel's shoulder.

Daniel sat up, rubbing the top of his head. "Ow!"

"Come on. The doc will fix you up as good as new, as soon as we get back to the SGC."

They were about to round a corner in the dark hallway, when they heard what sounded like a whole platoon of soldiers marching toward them. And since there wasn't anyplace for them to hide, Jack ordered them to get back inside the cell. Once the door was shut, the three stood back against the wall, waiting for whatever would happen next.

It was the same man who had pointed the staff weapon at Daniel's head earlier, but this time he'd come with half a dozen armed men. Apparently he thought Jack was more dangerous than he looked. Jack's ego liked that idea very much, but Jack kept quiet.

One of the guards opened the cell door, giving it a second look when he noticed it wasn't locked. But he didn't say anything to his leader, and Jack wondered if he was afraid to admit that he or one of his cronies hadn't locked it. However, Jack didn't have long to wonder about this before one of the men made an announcement.

"My Lord Apophis wishes to speak to the woman," the big man announced, pointing to Sam. Jack didn't even stop to think, before he was jumping in front of Sam, trying to keep the alien guards from taking her away.

The last thing Jack remembered was a burning sensation in his right knee, as one of the aliens shot him with a staff weapon. When he came to, he was laying on the ground outside, and he could see the stargate. Daniel was there too, and Ferretti and Kawalsky.

"Fuck! Shit that hurts!" Jack cried out, as he tried to sit up. Instead he laid on his side and grabbed his knee, feeling the warm sticky blood that had oozed through the bandage.

"Jack! Hang in there, buddy. Jackson, dial the gate!" Kawalsky yelled, and Daniel did as he was told.

With Kawalsky and Ferretti there to help him, Jack got up on his feet, although his one leg wouldn't work very well, and it hurt like a son-of-a-bitch. So he hopped on one foot, his arms over the shoulders of his men.

They turned him toward the wormhole, and he panicked. "Wait! We're not leaving Sam!" Jack yelled, as he realized their intention. They were going to leave Sam here with that Goa'uld!

"She's already gone, Jack. The Goa'uld took her. We saw them use the stargate about thirty minutes ago," Ferretti told him. "After they left, we went and found you and Jackson down in the dungeon. All the soldiers were gone."

"Where'd they go? Did you see the symbols?" Jack asked, grabbing Kawalsky's jacket. He could barely believe what had happened. Sam was gone! This was worse than any nightmare could ever be.

"No, Jack, we had to hide in the trees."

"What?!"

"What else could we do? They had a whole platoon of those soldiers with them, Jack. Besides, I think Carter's been compromised. Either that or she was drugged. She went with the Goa'uld willingly," Kawalsky told him.

Jack couldn't believe the news, and he wanted to rail at his friends and call them all sorts of names for allowing the alien to take Sam. But just then the wormhole formed, and the men began walking Jack toward the event horizon. And though he felt like he was leaving his heart behind, he went with them anyway.

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

After gating back to the SGC, Jack was still angry at his men for not trying to stop Apophis from taking Sam. Daniel had tried to reason with him, but finally everyone had left him alone to stew in his own juices. They knew he blamed himself as much as he blamed anyone, and besides he was injured and confined to a bed in the SGC infirmary, whereas they had been allowed to go home.

The next morning General Hammond came to talk to Jack. "I have no choice but to declare Captain Carter MIA and presumed dead."

Jack wanted to yell at him that it couldn't be true, that he'd go and find her just as soon as he could walk. But the news the doctor had for him earlier that morning hadn't been good. He was going to need more surgery on his knee, and most likely he'd never be fully qualified to serve on the front lines again.

"I'll phone her father, since he and I are old friends. This is going to kill Jacob," George said, shaking his head.

"Yes, Sir." Jack didn't know Sam's father, but he did know that Sam thought of him as a role model. He figured the man would probably be instrumental in raising Jonathan, and he wondered if he could help.

"Since you're here, Sir, there's something else I need to talk to you about."

Jack had already made a decision; if he couldn't serve with his men in the field, if he had to work as a pencil pusher behind some desk somewhere, then he'd quit the Air Force for good this time. So he told Hammond, who looked disappointed and sad, but not surprised.

"I'm very sorry about all this, son. I wish things had turned out differently," he said sadly.

"Me too," Jack agreed, not saying all that he was thinking. He wished more than anything that he had gotten the chance to make Sam forgive him, to make her love him again. But that couldn't happen now.

"Well, I've got a few reports to read."

"I'll get mine to you just as soon as I can, Sir," Jack promised, but without much enthusiasm. Writing about what had happened was not something he was going to enjoy. The mission had been doomed from the start. He could see that now. They should never have gone to Chulac without backup.

"I'll notify Sam's next of kin," Hammond said, and then he went down to his office, faced with one of the most difficult phone calls he'd ever had to make. But when he reached Jacob Carter's office at Langley Air Force Base, his assistant Lt. Roberts, a lovely young woman who George had met on several occasions, confided that General Carter was in the base hospital, and he wasn't expected to live. Shocked, George phoned the hospital.

"Jacob, it's George Hammond."

"George, you must have ESP. I was just going to call you," said a weak voice.

"What the heck's going on with you, Jake?"

"I've got cancer, George. It's terminal."

"But aren't there treatments?"

"For the lucky ones. Unfortunately they caught it too late. Is Sam there?"

"No, she's not. In fact, she's…"

"Then I want you to tell my little girl good-bye for me, George. Tell her I love her, and that I'm sorry I won't be around to see Jonathan graduate from the Air Force Academy one day."

"What? Jake, who are you talking about?" George asked, but instead of Jacob's weak voice, George heard the firm voice of a woman who identified herself as Nurse Major Green. She told George that Jacob was tired and needed to rest, and he should call back later.

George hung up he phone, wondering how he would ever be able to tell the man that his daughter was gone. And who was this Jonathan that Jacob had talked about?

In the infirmary that same day, Jack was trying not to think about Sam, when the general walked in.

"I phoned General Carter to tell him about Sam, but I didn't get a chance. In fact I'm the one who got a shock."

"What's that, Sir?"

"He's dying of cancer."

Jack immediately thought about Jonathan. The boy had not only lost his mother; now he was losing his grandfather! "That's terrible news, Sir."

"Yes, it certainly is. She doesn't really have anyone else. Jacob did mention someone named Jonathan, but I have no idea who he is. Maybe those people she named as contacts know who he is? You know Sam had a home Northwest of here in the mountains. But I'll take care of notifying them. You just go and take care of that knee," Hammond rattled on.

"Uh…yes, Sir," was all Jack said. It was obvious that Hammond was upset about Sam. Jack was very upset too, but he just let Hammond go on talking. And now he was feeling like a real asshole. He had loved Sam for years, but he still couldn't admit it. Why not? Who was he protecting? The answer could only be that he was protecting himself, and the knowledge made him feel ashamed.

"Well, good luck, Jack. I'll check on your progress, but feel free to phone me if you need anything."

"I will, Sir. Thank you." Hammond turned and was about to leave, but Jack just couldn't let him go without admitting the truth. He had to do it, and not just because of the boy. He had to do it to honor the love he felt for Sam…a love he would always feel.

"Sir, wait! There's something I have to tell you…something you need to know," he began, and then Jack told his CO everything. And by the time he was finished, the general was seated on a chair next to Jack's bed, looking as though he felt too weak to stand.

"I have to admit I never saw this coming. I wish you had told me the minute you found out Sam was being assigned to your team."

"I know, and I'm sorry, Sir. I hope I haven't put you in a difficult position."

"Well, since you're off duty, and this conversation isn't being recorded, I am willing to keep this between us. I have only two more years to serve before I can retire, and I really don't want to lose my pension. Do we understand one another, Jack?"

"Perfectly, Sir."

"Do you want me to notify the people who are taking care of Sam's son…er…your son?"

"No, Sir. I think I should do it. I want to be a father to the boy now. I just hope, wherever she is, that Sam would approve."

"I think she would, Jack. A boy needs his father."

As soon as Hammond left, Jack phoned Eden Woods to tell the Baxters about Sam.

"You say she's missing? Where?" Bella asked him.

"I'm sorry, I can't tell you that. Her work was highly classified."

"Yes, she told us that. She also told us about your relationship to her and the boy."

Jack was surprised that Sam had told anyone about him. "I'm surprised she told you."

"She wanted us to know, in case something happened to her. She said we should get in touch with you. Colonel, you won't take the boy away from here, will you?"

Jack could tell that what she was asking was very personal. She didn't want to lose the boy. He understood her concern. "I'm not sure what I'm going to do. But first I need to have surgery. I was wounded on our last mission."

"Oh! I'm so sorry! I hope you'll be okay."

"Yah, I'll be fine. I just wanted to make sure that my son's in good hands. It may be a month before I get out of the hospital."

"Don't worry about Jonathan. We'll take good care of him. He's happy here with us," she assured him.

"I'm sure he is, or Sam wouldn't have trusted you with him. Do you need anything….money for his care?" Jack suddenly wondered how Sam's arrangement with the Baxters worked. Did she pay them to look after the boy, or did they do it out of the goodness of their hearts?

"She left her lawyer's name and phone number. We'll phone him. I'm sure he'll tell us what she wanted for the boy. In the meantime we have enough of everything we need, so don't worry."

"Can I have the lawyer's name and number?" Jack had to know too. What if Sam had left some sort of provision in her will that prevented him from seeing the boy?

He couldn't wait to find out, so he phoned the attorney next. The man offered to come and see him, rather than discuss Sam's will over the phone. Now he had to ask Hammond to authorize Mister Jessop's visit.

"Okay, but be discreet! You can't breathe a word about what is really going on here," George reminded Jack. Actually nothing much was going on here, now that SG-1's leader was out of commission. The prognosis, for both Jack's knee and the stargate program, was not good. "There's something you should know. The President is considering pulling the plug."

"I can't say that I blame him. I really messed up this time, didn't I?"

"It's not your fault, son. I think it was too risky in the first place."

"Not true, Sir. We could have pulled it off. I had our missing sergeant standing right in front of me at one point. I just didn't go in with enough fire power. It was my mistake."

"You almost sound like you think we can win against these aliens."

"We can, Sir, and we'd damned well better try, before they come here and take us over like they took Sam!"

"Would you be willing to tell this to the Joint Chiefs? I have a conference call scheduled with them in less than an hour."

"I'd be happy to, Sir. If we don't get back out there and learn the lay of the land, we won't be prepared when they come knocking at out door again. The only way to beat the enemy is to know them, Sir,"

"I agree, Colonel. I'll have the phone call routed down here, so you can tell them first hand what you just told me."

An hour later Hammond ended the conference call. He hoped his superiors would heed Jack's words, but only time would tell. Right now he had to phone Jacob Carter again, to tell him that his daughter was missing and probably gone for good.

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

Four weeks later Jack was doing well after the surgery on his knee. He could walk with the aid of a cane, and the pain was becoming more bearable each day. His knee joint had been replaced with a metal one, and though he would have fairly good mobility, he was no longer fit to serve on the front lines. So as planned, Jack had retired from the Air Force. But he didn't do it just because he didn't want to sit behind a desk day in and day out. He did it because he wanted to spend his time raising his son.

As soon as he was released from the hospital in Virginia, he flew back to Colorado, where he went home and packed some clothes and things for his trip to Eden Woods. Then he closed up the house, left the hotel phone number with his next door neighbor, and got into his truck. Two hours later he was parked in the shade of huge pine trees, in the parking lot of the big hotel.

Jack slid down, landing on the ground on his left foot. Then he looked up at the windows on the top floor of the large wooden building. He wondered what his son was doing right now. He wondered what the Baxters had told him about his mother. He had wanted to be the one to tell Jonathan that Sam was gone, but that hadn't been possible because of his injury. Now he hoped he could fill at least part of the void that had been left in the boy's life.

A man of about sixty years of age was working at the big desk in the lobby when Jack asked for a room.

"Double or single?"

"Single's fine."

"I have a room available on the first floor. It doesn't have much of a view, but it's close to the dining room. Will that be okay with you?"

Jack could tell that the man had noticed his cane and was trying to make things easy on him. "Yah, that sounds fine."

"Please sign the register," the man said, as he turned a big, leather bound book toward Jack. Jack signed his name and wrote down his home address. Then he turned the ledger back around. The man read what Jack had written and his eyebrows rose.

"Mister O'Neill! Or should I call you Colonel?" he asked pleasantly, smiling at Jack.

"No colonel anymore. I'm retired now. Bum knee," he said, not wanting to explain further.

"I see. I'm sorry. Bella said you were having surgery. She's getting the boy some lunch. Maybe you'd like to join them?"

"Yah, that'd be nice." Jack watched as the man made a phone call from the old fashioned switchboard in the small alcove next to the reception desk. He was back very quickly, but now he wasn't smiling.

"I'll have your bag taken up to the penthouse suite," he said as he waved two fingers in the air. A boy of about sixteen came running up to Jack.

Jack told him his suitcase was in the truck and handed the boy the keys. Then he turned back to the man behind the desk. "The penthouse suite?"

"Well, we can't have Jonathan's father staying in just any ole room. So it will be the best room for you."

"You must be George Baxter."

"Yes. I'm sorry for not introducing myself immediately, but you surprised me."

"But I phoned. You knew I'd be here."

"Yes, I knew you'd be coming. Bella told me that you would, but for some reason I pictured you as a younger man."

"Yah, I get that a lot," Jack said with an ironic laugh.

He knew his hair had grayed a lot lately, and now that he was no longer fit to serve his country on the front lines, he was feeling even older than his forty-seven years. Being retired was okay in some ways, but it also reminded Jack of how much he'd missed. He'd spent over half his life in the Air Force. The military had played a huge part in his life, and now he didn't know who he was or what he had to offer anyone, especially a boy of nine. He just knew he had to try…for Sam.

Jack was taken upstairs in the old lift by George Baxter himself, and as they went, George explained that they had told the boy that Sam had gone on a mission and that the mission had gone badly. "We didn't say she's dead. You don't know that for a fact, do you?" he asked.

"No, I don't." The truth was, Jack couldn't bring himself to think of her as dead. And from what little he knew about the Goa'uld and their hosts, he thought that her body was still alive. As for her mind…well, that was another thing entirely.

They entered the suite, and Jack couldn't help but recall the last time he was there. Their son had been asleep in the next room, while he had made love to Sam on the sofa…the very sofa that sat in the middle of the living room right now. Jack tried not to look at it, as he following George to the dining table.

The boy sat there staring at his plate, while George introduced Jack to the woman who was seated at the head of the small dining table. George told them to have a nice lunch, and then he left. Jack assumed he had to go back to work.

"It's good to finally see you again," she said. There was a hint of disapproval in her tone, and Jack wondered why. He got his answer in her next statement. "I was here the day you came to see Sam. It was about five years ago."

"Oh! That's right, I forgot you were here when I arrived. I was a bit…upset at the time." He had been about to say that he'd been drunk, but he decided against it. The boy was watching him curiously now, as if he wanted to ask him something but was too shy to speak.

"Hello. My name is Jack…Jack O'Neill. I was a good friend of your mother's," Jack explained, but the boy still didn't say anything, and his stare was making Jack feel uneasy.

"Please sit down and have something to eat. We're having Jon's favorite today…pepperoni pizza," Bella announced, smiling at the boy.

The spicy aroma of one of Jack's favorite foods filled the air, but it was making him feel nauseous rather than hungry. Or maybe it was the two people, who seemed to be criticizing him without even knowing him, that were making him feel a bit queasy?

Never the less he smiled and tried to appear eager to eat. "I never turn down pizza. It's my favorite food group." Jack pulled out the nearest chair and sat down, leaning his cane against the table leg. But it fell over and clattered onto the wood floor, the sudden clatter causing the boy to jump.

"Sorry." Jack bent down and picked it up. Then he hung it over the back of his chair. "Sorry about that. I'm still getting use to carrying the thing with me wherever I go."

"What's wrong with your leg?" the boy asked.

"Jonathan, don't be so rude!" Bella chastised him.

"No, it's okay. He has a right to be curious. I was wounded during my last mission."

"The one when my Mom was killed?"

"Jon, I never said she was dead," Bella said quickly.

"But she was, wasn't she? She's never coming home again. Why won't you tell me the truth?!" Jonathan pushed his chair back and went running out of the room. Then they heard the door to the hallway slam shut.

Belle started to get up, but Jack held up his hand. "Let me talk to him. I think it's about time I behaved like a father."

"Better late than never," she responded critically, but Jack didn't stay to answer her accusation. He needed to find his son. He had a lot of explaining to do to the boy, before he'd take the time to explain himself to this woman.

It was almost dark when Jack finally located the boy in the boathouse. He was sitting in the water, in a kayak, and even in the twilight Jack could see that he'd been crying. Jack sat down on the little dock, letting his legs hang over the edge. His shoes almost touched the water below.

"Hey. What are you doin down here all by yourself?" Jack wondered if Jonathan had intended to take the kayak out onto the lake. Was he wanting to run away from the situation, or just from him?

"I come here when I miss my Mom. This is her kayak. Mine's over there," he said, pointing with his chin.

Jack looked over to where another kayak was hanging from hooks on the wall.

"Niice!" Jack said enthusiastically, and he meant it. Here was another thing he hadn't known about Sam…and his son.

"We used to take them across the lake. There's a meadow on the other side, just past the trees. We had secret lunches there, all by ourselves, where the tourists couldn't see us."

"You don't like the tourists much," Jack stated, sensing the boy's feelings.

"They're okay, I guess. Bella says they're necessary to keep the hotel going."

"I get the feeling you wouldn't care if it closed down, as long as you could stay here at Eden Woods."

The boy just nodded. Then he considered Jack's brace for a minute. "How'd you hurt your leg exactly?"

"I was shot…right in the knee cap. It hurt like a son-of-a…. It hurt a lot." Jack stopped himself just in time. It had been a while, but he could still remember Sara telling him not to use what she called 'foul language' in front of Charlie.

But Jonathan snickered, as though he knew precisely what Jack had been about to say. Then he asked another question. "Who shot you?"

"A bad guy."

"No shit, Sherlock!" Jon responded, as though any fool could figure that out.

"Hey! Your Mom wouldn't want you using that kind of language."

"I know. She always threatened to wash my mouth out with soap, but she never did."

"So who'd you learn that sort of talk from? I know it wasn't your Mom."

"Mister Baxter."

"Do you like Mister Baxter?"

"Of course. He's been like a father to me," he replied, and the truth in the words almost broke Jack's heart. They also sounded like something Jonathan had heard from an adult, and he figured that adult was Bella. "He knows how to do a lot of stuff," he added, and Jack got the feeling he was about to be tested.

Now Jon climbed out of the kayak and sat down next to Jack on the dock. Then he picked up Jack's cane and waved it around over his head, jabbing it in the air like a sword.

"Like what?" Jack asked, figuring he'd better accept the challenge or lose his son's respect before he even had it.

"He's a great shot. He can hit a target as small as an apple from fifty paces," he stated proudly. "My Mom could too, from even farther away than that! She could fly a jet plane too."

"So can I." Suddenly Jack wished that Jonathan knew a few things about him. "I can shoot pretty good too."

"As good as Mom?"

"I don't know." The truth was he'd never seen Sam fire a gun. They hadn't worked together long enough.

"But you were her CO, weren't you?"

"Yes, I was. Who told you that?"

"Bella told me. But if you were her CO, then I don't understand something."

"What?"

"Well, Mom always said her CO was there to teach her and look out for her, sort of like my soccer coach does."

"Yah, that's true."

"Then why didn't you take care of her? Why did you let her die? Why didn't you bring her home?!" he asked, his voice almost whining now. Jack could see the tears in his eyes, and it was breaking his heart to see him so upset. His words were hurting Jack too, for they were the exact same ones he had asked himself.

"I tried! I wanted to go after her, but they shot me and I couldn't walk." The boy had stood up, and now he was crying hard and shaking with anger, his fists tightly clinched as though he wanted to hit something.

"You left her, and now she's dead and I'll never see her again! I hate you!" the boy yelled, and then he ran away.

"Son of a bitch!" Jack cursed himself and fate, or whatever power had left this boy without a mother. He wanted to tell the boy that everything would be alright, but how could he when he didn't believe it himself? But Jack got up as fast as he could and followed after the boy anyway.

Once he reached the lawn, Jack could see him running up the steps of the hotel, so he slowed his pace. At least he knew Jonathan was not out in the forest somewhere. So, since his leg was beginning to throb from overexertion, he limped slowly to the hotel.

His first real meeting with his son had not gone very well, and now he was beginning to doubt he could ever win the boy's trust, let alone his respect. He wasn't even sure he had the right.

TBC


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

All the way back upstairs to the penthouse Jack kept thinking about what his son had said. He was Sam's CO, so why hadn't he taken better care of her?

Maybe he couldn't prevent the Goa'uld from taking her, but why had he been so complacent since then? He was out of the hospital now, so he couldn't keep using his physical condition as an excuse. He should be trying to convince the military to go after her, or at least to go after the bad guys! Why wait until it was too late, until the Goa'uld came knocking on their door? Wouldn't the smart thing be to attack them first?

Jack knew what he had to do, so he retrieved his suitcase from the guest room. When he came out, Bella, George and Jonathan were there, and George and the boy were giving him confused looks. Bella looked downright angry.

"You're not leaving already?!" she cried.

"I have to. There's something I have to do. You're right, Jonathan; I should have been a better CO to your Mom. I'm going to try and make up for what I did…for what I didn't do. I'll call you and explain just as soon as I can," he said.

"She wouldn't want you risking your life for her," George said.

"Shut up, George, and let the man do what he needs to do," Bella told her husband.

"I'll be back as soon as I can, Jonathan," Jack told his son. The boy didn't say anything. He just ran to Jack and put his arms around Jack's middle. Jack hugged him and told him to behave, and then he left the three standing there in Sam's living room.

George Hammond didn't expect to see Jack O'Neill at the SGC ever again, so when he got the call from the security check point on the surface telling him that a very agitated Jack O'Neill was there wanting in, he was very surprised.

"Alright, let him in." Five minutes later Jack limped into his office. "Sit down, Jack. This is a surprise."

"I know it is, Sir, and I wanna thank you for seeing me. I tried to get the President to talk to me, but he won't even take my calls."

"Uh…I guess I can understand why. After all, you're a civilian now, Jack."

"Yah, and when I was in the military I was hard to handle, right? I know the sort of things that were said about me, General. I imagine you hoped you wouldn't have to deal with me anymore."

"On the contrary; you were a fine soldier while you were under my command," he said, glancing toward the camera in the upper corner of the room. "Now, how can I help you?"

"I wanna go look for Captain Carter."

"Jack, you know I can't order my men to go on a wild goose chase."

"I'm not asking you to send anyone with me, Sir. I intend to go alone."

Just then Daniel Jackson came bounding into the room. "Jack! Sergeant Harriman said you were here. How are you? Oops, sorry! Am I interrupting anything important?"

"Not anything I'm taking very seriously," Hammond replied. "Jack was just trying to convince me to let him use the stargate, so he can go looking for Captain Carter."

"I've never left a man behind before, Sir, and I don't intend to end my career by doing just that. Give me a chance to find her. That's all I ask."

"I'll go with you. I'm certainly not needed around here. You said it yourself, General, you have no idea if or when the program will continue. So for now I'd rather spend my time off world, and I think searching for Captain Carter is about as good a use of my knowledge as anything."

Hammond seemed to be considering the matter, but Jack couldn't wait to get his answer. "No one has to know, General. I can make that tape disappear," he said, looking up at the security camera.

"I know you can. So can I. But I still don't know if I should approve of this hair-brained scheme. I've never sanctioned anything like this before."

"You don't have to sanction it, Sir, just look the other way," Jack suggested. He knew he was asking a lot of his CO, but Sam's life was at stake.

"I think this is Captain Carter's only chance, General," Daniel opined.

"Alright, then you have a go. I mean I won't try to stop you. In fact, I'm going home now. You'll take care of the tape, Colonel?"

"On my honor, Sir," Jack replied.

It was late and most of the personnel had gone home for the day, so Jack and Daniel were surprised when they ran into Ferretti and Kawalsky coming out of the locker room.

"Jack, I thought you were retired again," Ferretti said, while Charlie just gave Jack a sheepish look.

"I AM retired. What are you two doing here so late?"

"We work out in the gym every day. You know, stay in shape, just in case," Ferretti replied.

"Yeah, I wanna be ready. I figure you never know when we might be needed to go out and look for Captain Carter. …if those stiffs in Washington ever get their heads out of the asses, that is," Kawalsky said, finally looking up at Jack. Jack knew what the man was doing. It was his way of apologizing, of admitting his part in Carter's abduction. But Daniel responded before Jack could decide what to say to his old friend.

"That's where we're going!" Daniel said, and Jack shut his eyes and swore to himself that he was gonna kill Daniel the first time he got a chance.

"You're going to look for Captain Carter?! Why weren't we told? Besides, how can you lead a team when you're not even in the military anymore?" Charlie asked.

Even though Jack was a bit disabled, he buttonholed the man and pulled him back into the locker room. The other two men followed.

"Shut your trap, Kawalsky, before someone hears you! We're going, but no one's supposed to know about it, Einstein," Jack said as he turned his attention to Daniel.

"Sorry. But we could use their help. This is perfect! You guys should come with us!"

"I'm in!" Charlie piped up. "I owe you for letting that bastard take Carter in the first place."

"Yeah, what he said," Ferretti told him.

And so it was decided that the two soldiers would accompany Jack and Daniel.

It was 0100 when Daniel strolled into the control room carrying a cup of coffee and a dessert plate with a big wedge of chocolate cake on it.

"Hey there, Sergeant! It's Walter, isn't it? May I call you Walter?" Daniel asked in his most friendly voice.

"Uh…yes. What can I do for you, Doctor?"

"Oh, call me Daniel, please! Actually I was just having trouble sleeping, so I thought I'd have a little snack. You must get awfully bored here all by yourself."

"Yeah, this place is like a tomb most of the time."

"I'd be happy to keep an eye on things for you, if you want to go to the commissary and get yourself something to eat. They still have some cake," Daniel said around a bite of the chocolate layer cake. "Mmmm, did you taste this Chocolate Gateau? It's awesome!"

"Uh…I think I will go get a piece. If you really don't mind holding down the fort for me?"

"Of course not! Go ahead. And take your time. After all, there's nothing going on around here."

As soon as the little man was gone, Daniel typed the address to Abydos into the computer. Then he placed his hand on the palm reader, just like Hammond had showed him the day it had been installed. Down below in the gate room the new iris opened. And after taking one of the IDC wrist bands out of the cabinet where they were stored, he ran down the stairs.

Down in the hallway in front of the blast doors, Jack, Kawalsky and Ferretti were waiting for Daniel, who used his keycard to open the doors. And once they were inside the gate room, he shut the doors and locked them. But no one came, and soon the final chevron had locked into place, and the men were walking into the event horizon with Daniel in the lead.

On the other side everything was quiet…at first. Then they heard a young voice yelling. "Dan-yell! A young man dressed in brown robes and wearing his hair in dread knots ran up and hugged Daniel, while other young men came up behind him.

When the young man saw Jack, he smiled even more. "O'Neill! I did not think to be seeing you again!"

"Skaara, this can't be you? You're a man!"

"It is me, O'Neill. I have grown." Jack grabbed the young man around the back of the neck and hugged him briefly, and then Ferretti and Kawalsky pumped Skaara's hand. He greeted them warmly, and his friends came forward to greet the visitors too. Soon they were all chattering away like the old friends they were.

"Come! We must go to the village. My father will be pleased to see you. But my sister will be pleased to see YOU the most," he told Daniel as he grinned at him. Daniel just blushed and lowered his head.

"This is nice, but we didn't come here to chit chat," Jack said in an irritable tone of voice.

"Jack, don't be so rude," Daniel warned.

"But talking is a waste of time, Daniel," Jack complained, as they began walking along behind Skaara and his men.

"These people are a lot more likely to share what they know about the Goa'uld, if they like you," Daniel said in a quiet voice intended only for Jack's ears.

"Your point being?" Jack asked as his eyes swept the barren desert landscape. They had reached the outside of the temple, and all he could see was miles and miles of sand. Now he remembered one of the reasons he hated this place.

They need to get to know you better in order to like you, Jack."

"Skaara likes me already."

"He's still a young man. I'm talking about his father and the elders of his tribe. They're the ones you need to convince, if you want their help."

"Okay, we'll do it your way, Daniel. But I'm not spending more than one night here in this God-forsaken place," Jack said irritably, as he put on his dark glasses. The sun was beating down on them, and Jack could already feel his body temperature rising. God, what he wouldn't give for some trees!

But there were no trees on this planet, and so Jack tried to concentrate on the reason he was there. If he had to walk through the fires of hell to get Sam back, he would.

TBC


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

The four men were led to the large village, the place where Jack had first met Skaara and his family. And while they walked with Skaara and his friends, Daniel explained that they were looking for their lost comrade, a woman who had been taken by an alien like Ra.

Jack thought Skaara seemed eager to help, although he couldn't understand a lot of what the boy and Daniel were saying, since most of the time they spoke in Skaara's own language. So he concentrated on not twisting his good knee. Walking in sand was difficult at best, but Jack just kept plodding along, trying to ignore the ache in his right thigh and calf muscles which were still trying to adapt to the new knee joint.

When they finally arrived at the village, Kasuf, who was Skaara's father and the chief of the tribe, was there to greet them. Jack thought he seemed happy to see them, but also anxious. "What's up with your Dad?" Jack asked. Skaara explained that his father was worried that the presence of the men from Earth meant that the Goa'uld were coming back again.

"So you know that there are others out there like Ra?" Jack asked him in disbelief.

"Yes, there are many gods, O'Neill," Kasuf assured him with a surprised look.

"I wish you had told us before," was all Jack could think to say. When he'd left Abydos a year ago, after killing Ra, he thought he had killed the only alien of his kind. So to find out that there were more of them out there, MANY of them if Kasuf was correct, was a blow to Jack's already taxed conscience. To think that Sam was out there among those bastards because of him, made his heart ache and his stomach churn. He simply had to get her back! But right now the boy was tugging on his arm, trying to get his attention.

"Come! We will eat and discuss a plan to find your friend," he said, and then he turned to follow his father, who had already walked off, along the dusty street. Jack went with Skaara as if in a trance, not even thinking about his comrades. Suddenly the enormity of the situation he'd gotten Sam into seemed so overwhelming that he couldn't think about anything else. It took him several minutes before he began to look around at the sights and the people of the village.

For the most part they were going about their daily routines, weaving, grinding grain into flour, stuff he had seen people on Earth do, and it made him think just how alike all people were, how all they wanted was to be happy, to raise their children in peace. He hoped his coming back here wouldn't hurt these people. Even though he wanted to find Sam, he didn't want it to be at the expense of innocent people.

They were led to a large open space in the center the high-walled village, where there were tables laden with food. Kasuf and several older men where already there, and they bid Jack and his men to join them. Jack sat close to the old leader, eager to find out what he knew about these aliens called the Goa'uld. Kasuf told them how the gods had come to Abydos regularly for many generations.

"What do they want here?"

"In the past they took the children, but more recently the Goa'uld have come here mainly for the minerals in the mine," Daniel explained, translating for the chief. "Kasuf's people were used as slave labor until you killed Ra. He says he is very grateful to you for freeing them."

Jack just nodded, accepting the man's thanks, but he felt like saying that he hadn't done much. The Goa'uld could come back at any time, and these people would be slaves again, or worse.

"What do the Goa'uld want with the minerals?" Charlie asked.

Daniel translated, and Kasuf explained, using his hands to indicate something flying in the air. "He says they use it to make their flying machines," Daniel explained. "I think it may be the same material the stargates are made of," Daniel added. "Captain Carter could probably tell us…." Daniel stopped suddenly as he realized his error. "Sorry," he mumbled.

They talked about many other things as well, and soon everyone was finished eating. Suddenly Kasuf clapped his hands above his head. Dancing girls came out of a nearby house and began circling the seated men.

One of the dancers seemed to be quite fond of Daniel, if her gyrating right in front of him was any indication. "Hey, isn't that the girl Kasuf tried to give you the last time I was here?"

"Yes, it is, Jack. Her name is Sha're. She's Kasuf's daughter." Daniel kept his head down most of the time, but Jack could see that he was very excited. The other men were being entertained as well, but not with the same eagerness that this woman was displaying for Daniel's benefit, and Jack had to wonder just how well Daniel knew her.

"And did you take Kasuf up on his offer?" Jack asked. He wasn't about to let Daniel off the hook so easily.

"Let's just say that I took her up on HER offer, Jack," Daniel replied. The pretty dark-haired girl smiled at him and winked, and he smiled back.

"You wily devil, you!" Jack said, grinning and clapping the younger man on the back.

All four Earth men were seated together at the banquet, and Jack was keeping a close watch on his team. He wanted to find out what they could and then get on their way in the morning. He didn't want to have to wait around while they recovered from too much celebrating.

"Hey, you guys, ease up on that moonshine, will ya?"

"Moonshine?" Skaara asked, smiling as though Jack had told a joke.

"Yah, moonshine, booze, hooch," Jack said, glancing at the jug on the table. He hadn't tried it, but he could smell it, and it smelled pretty lethal.

"But you have not tried our moonshine," the young man said playfully, as he poured some into a cup. He handed Jack the cup of the foamy, yellow liquid, and Jack made a face. Jack thought it looked like camel piss, and he was sure it would taste just as bad. But his men were drinking it, so he decided to try it. After all, he couldn't have them think he was a coward.

"Smoooth!" he said, coughing as the fiery liquid hit the back of his throat, almost taking his breath away.

"Moonshine!" Skaara yelled, and everyone laughed and cheered. Then they went on eating and drinking.

The next morning they were all a bit hung over, including Jack who was very mad at himself for forgetting one of his own rules; you never get shit-faced the night before a mission!

But never the less, by midday they had made it to the ruins that Daniel insisted they see. It was in an oasis, and Jack finally got to see a tree, albeit a palm tree, or this planet's version of one.

The building looked like a small pyramid from the outside, but under the ground there was a huge room. Skaara's three best friends, who had come along, ran around and lit several torches which were placed high on the walls.

Jack spun around on his heels, almost losing his balance as he tried to take in the entire room. The room was about fifty feet wide, by thirty feet across, and the walls were at least fifteen feet high. "What the hell is this place?"

"I'm not sure what the people who built it called it, but it's a sort of directory for the stargates. Jack, these are all gate addresses!" Daniel explained excitedly.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes! See, here is the address for Earth. And here is the address for Abydos," he said, running from one to the other as he pointed up at the glyphs on the wall. When I found them I realized the stargate could go to thousands of planets. That's why I went back to Earth, to tell General Hammond."

"So, Sam could be anywhere," Jack said, more to himself than to the others.

"Um sorry, Jack. But I think there's still a way we can find her. I think we need to go back to Chulac"

"Back to Chulac?! Why?!"

"Well, it's obviously a place where Apophis visits quite often. The people there worship him, they feed his ego, as well as keep him supplied with hosts and slaves."

"So you think that he'll be back there soon?"

"I think it's possible."

"Okay, then let's get going," Jack said. And then he stomped out of the pyramid, with the others not far behind him.

Daniel had explained the situation to Skaara, and now the young man and his friends wanted to help. "We wish to go with you, O'Neill," the boy said as he caught up with Jack.

"No way, kid. It's too dangerous."

"We are brave warriors!"

"You're just boys." He guessed the four were around sixteen or seventeen. "You have your whole life ahead of you. I won't let you risk it for someone you don't even know."

"We know you, O'Neill. This woman you are searching for…Dan-yell said she is very special to you."

"Yah, she is," Jack admitted, although he wondered how Daniel knew.

"You are our friend, O'Neill. You saved us from Ra, so now we wish to repay you by helping you find the woman you love."

Jack stopped and stared at the boy. "Listen, I appreciate the offer more than I can say, but I would feel terrible if anything happened to you. You stay here and protect the village. That is what you can do for me. Understand?"

"Yes, O'Neill," Skaara answered, but he was obviously very disappointed.

After a midday meal of meat, fruit and bread, Kasuf wished them well, and then the four Earth men walked back to the pyramid which housed the stargate. Only Skaara and his three friends went along to see them off.

When Jack and his team arrived at Chulac, they immediately headed toward the town on the hill. But at the steepest part of the trail, Jack stopped and ordered Ferretti and Kawalsky to remain behind. "You guys wait here. Radio us if you see any Jaffa."

Charlie tried to ask Jack to forgiven him for his role in Sam's disappearance, but Jack clapped him on the shoulder. "It's okay, Charlie. I don't blame you for what happened to Carter. You guys did the right thing. If you hadn't, we'd all be dead now," he told him, and then he and Daniel started up the last hill.

In the village they went directly to the temple where they had seen the Goa'uld Apophis before. But it was too late for them to slip inside unnoticed, as Apophis and his queen were already standing in front of their worshipers. But, to Jack's great surprise and relief, Sam was not there!

"That's not Captain Carter, Jack," Daniel whispered as the two men hid behind a pillar at the back of the big room.

"I can see that, Daniel."

"I wonder where she is," Daniel went on, and just as Jack motioned for him to be quiet, two guards came up behind them, with their blast staffs aimed and ready. Jack and Daniel gave up their weapons and stumbled forward, as the uniformed guards shoved them in the back.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Apophis yelled.

"We found these men hiding back there," the bigger one said.

"You two again?"

"Yah, well, what can I say except, we love these little soirees of yours," Jack joked.

"This time you will not escape! Take them below!"

As they were being led down to the dungeon, Jack realized the lead guard was the same one who had taken Sam. He was also the one who had expressed interest in Jack's rifle. Maybe he could find out a few things from him?

"Hey, big guy, what happened to the woman who was with us the last time we were here?" he asked, as they walked along the dark corridors.

"She is not here."

"Yah, I sorta figured as much. What happened to her?" Jack asked, even though he was afraid to hear the answer.

"She escaped," the big brown man said.

Jack's breath caught in his throat. He coughed, barely able to speak. "Escaped? How?" he croaked.

"It is not known. She may have had help," he said, and then suddenly he turned and stepped back, reaching for his comrade, who he struck down with one blow to his face. Then he drew a weapon and fired three times at the man. The man disappeared right before Daniel and Jack's eyes.

"Whoa, cool!" Jack cried, while Daniel just looked frightened.

"Come with me," the big guy said, and then he led them down a short hallway and up a flight of wooden stairs. At the top of the rickety old stairs was a small wooden door, and when he opened it, Jack and Daniel could see daylight through the bushes.

"Why are you doing this?" Jack asked.

"Because Apophis is not a god," the man said as he separated the plants with his strong arms. "Now come with me if you want to live," he said, and then he pushed his way through the hedge. Jack and Daniel followed him.

"Where are you taking us?"

"Quiet! We can talk at another time," the man urged, and then they were running through the forest, hurrying away from the village. They were in a part of the forest that Jack had never seen before. He didn't know where they were going, or why this man was helping them, but Jack figured he could find out later. Now the important thing was getting out of here, so they could find Sam.

Jack kept up as well as he could, although his right leg was getting very tired. He had a muscle cramp in his left leg too, which he figured was due to it having to take up the slack. After what seemed to him like hours, but was only forty minutes, they stopped to rest, and Jack sunk down to the ground, sitting with his back against a tree. It was then that he finally got a chance to ask the alien soldier why he was helping them escape. The man's answer shocked Jack to the core.

"Because Samantha Carter taught me that the Goa'uld are not gods, and that if we work together the Jaffa can be free."

"YOU helped her escape!"

"Indeed!"

"Who are the Jaffa you speak of?" Daniel asked from his seat on a big rock.

"That is what my people are called. Many generations ago the Goa'uld bred us to be slaves, to protect their young until they are able to take hosts."

He pulled open his tunic then, and revealed a sort of X-shaped opening in his belly. Out of it came a snake-like creature. It looked around with its small beady eyes, hissed and then withdrew back inside the man's belly.

"Get that thing out of there!" Jack cried in disgust.

"I cannot. Without it I would die. It ensures my good health and long life."

"It must act as some sort of immune system, Jack," Daniel theorized. "When it gets old enough to take a host, and it leaves your body, won't you die then?"

"Only if I cannot find another symbiote to replace it. But there are many Goa'uld symbiotes. The queens are very prolific."

"That's disgusting. I think I'd take my chances without one," Jack stated.

"You can't say what you'd do, given the alternative, Jack."

"Maybe," he said, but he wanted to get back to a much more important topic. "You said you helped Carter escape. Where'd she go?"

"I will take you to her. But first we must reach the Chaapa'ai without being caught."

"Chapa who?"

"It's what he calls the stargate, Jack."

"Okay, then let's get going!" Jack used his radio to call Kawalsky and Ferretti, who were glad to hear Jack's voice. Jack was feeling much better now. Their new friend had given them back their stuff, and soon they'd be on their way to get Sam. Maybe this mission would turn out okay after all.

Jack began walking alongside the alien soldier. He was still a bit turned off by the idea of him having a Goa'uld inside him, but Jack wanted the man to know how much he appreciated what he'd done for Sam and what he was doing for them. "What's your name, big guy?"

"I am called Teal'c."

"I'm called Jack, and that space monkey back there is Daniel," Jack said, tipping his head back toward the young archaeologist. The big guy merely nodded his head.

TBC


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

Once they met up with Kawalsky and Ferretti, they all hiked toward the stargate together. But Kawalsky was obviously not feeling very safe having the Jaffa in their midst, and he expressed his doubts quietly to Jack as they walked side by side.

"Jack, you have no idea what we could be walking into. For that matter, how do you know you can trust this guy?" he asked as he gave Teal'c a wary look. The big man was leading the way now, with Daniel and Ferretti bringing up the rear.

"He helped Carter escape, that's how."

"Is that what he told you?" he asked, and Jack nodded.

"How do you know he isn't lying, that he didn't kill her?"

"I just know, Charlie!" He didn't want to explain his feelings to Charlie or to anyone. He just knew in his gut that Sam was still alive.

"What's up with you, Jack? Is there something between you and Carter?"

"No!" he replied gruffly, and then he walked faster, leaving Kawalsky to stare after him.

At the stargate the Jaffa dialed an address, while the others watched. And when the wormhole formed, the four members of SG-1 followed him into the event horizon. On the other side the group emerged onto a planet which looked similar in climate and vegetation to the one they'd just left.

Jack shut his eyes and tipped his head back, while taking a deep breath. "Awww, fresh air and trees! Lots and lots of trees!"

"Where are we?" Ferretti asked.

"This place is called Hak'tyl. It is the home of a tribe of rebel Jaffa. They have been caring for Samantha Carter."

"Caring for her?" Jack asked.

"Yes, she was injured."

"You never said anything about that! Christ! Let's get going," Jack urged, and the four members of SG-1 began following the big Jaffa through the forest.

Jack was able to keep up with the other men most of the time, but now and then he could tell they were slowing down because of him. And he hated the feeling that he was keeping them from reaching Sam faster. He had no idea what was wrong with her, because he hadn't asked. He wouldn't admit it to anyone, but he was afraid that her injury was serious, or that she might already be dead or dying. So he plodded along, keeping his head down and his mouth shut, while he raged at himself on the inside. The woman he loved was suffering because he had failed to protect her.

As they walked Daniel questioned Teal'c about the Hak'tyl. "You called them rebels. Why is that?"

"Years ago, before I became first prime of Apophis, there was a Goa'uld system lord called Moloc. He believed that female Jaffa were too weak to serve him. So each time a girl child was born, he had her killed."

"That's terrible!"

"Indeed!"

"So what happened?"

"One day a high priestess in Moloc's service decided to put an end to the slaughter. When the guards checked to see if the execution had been carried out, she substituted a dead baby for the live one. She continued this subterfuge, but eventually she was found out and put to death. Now her followers live together here on this planet. They don't have much contact with the other Jaffa, and they do not trust men, even their own kind, as they feel that we should have done something to prevent what was taking place."

"But what about you? I mean why are you allowed to come here?" Daniel asked.

"My sister, Jay'el is a member of the Hak'tyl. We are nearing the village now. We must leave our weapons here, or we will not be welcome."

"You heard him," Jack said as he put down his rifle. The men followed suit, although it was clear to Jack that Kawalsky and Ferretti were not okay with the idea. And once the guns and knives were stacked behind a big rock and covered with brush, the group moved on.

It wasn't long before they came to an open area where raised platforms stood. They were decorated with feathers, necklaces made of bone and pieces of animal hide.

"We must walk around the burial ground," Teal'c explained, as he led them to one side. The other men followed, looking at the roughly made platforms with their simple hand-made decorations.

"This reminds me of the traditional Native American burials, before us white men made them bury their dead in the ground," Daniel remarked. But no one else said anything as they skirted around the somber place. It wasn't long before they saw huts made of tree branches and animal hides, and then suddenly they were surrounding by scantily-clad women armed with bows and arrows, and spears.

"These strangers come in peace!" Teal'c said quickly, and a tall, dark-skinned, dark-haired woman stepped forward. She hugged Teal'c, and then she studied Jack and his men.

"Who are these strangers, Teal'c? Why have you brought them here?" she asked, giving him a look that said she was not pleased.

"They are the Tauri, Samantha Carter's people. This is Jay'el, my sister."

The men nodded their heads at her, while keeping watchful eyes on the other women.

"Come!" Jay'el announced, and then she led them into the village, while the other women followed behind the men.

"I don't like this, Jack," Kawalsky hissed quietly, but Jack didn't answer. Although he was sensing a lot of animosity from these women, his thoughts were only about Sam and what her condition might be.

Jay'el stopped in front of one of the huts, where she lifted the flap covering the doorway. "She is here," she said, as she motioned for the men to go inside.

"I'll go," Jack said, laying his hand on Daniel's chest. "You stay out here," he said, and then he gave Kawalsky a look that said, "Stay frosty in case there's trouble." Charlie nodded.

Jack ducked his head and slowly went inside. Jay'el followed him.

The first thing Jack noticed was the smell, like something burning, although it wasn't an unpleasant smell. He had seen people in many countries using incense as a part of their healing rituals, and he figured that was the case here. Jack looked around the interior of the hut, trying to see into the darkness. Jay'el moved past him and seemed to melt into the shadows.

He couldn't make out much of anything at first, but once his eyes adjusted to the dim light he could see that there was a pile of furry animal skins on the floor, and Jay'el was stooping beside them. He walked closer, and she pulled the animal hides back at one end, revealing the person lying there. Jack saw blonde hair and pale, unmarked skin all the way down to Sam's pink nipples.

Jay'el recovered her, and Jack got down on his good knee to get a closer look. He could see that her eyes were closed. Sam moaned and her brow wrinkled, as though she was having a bad dream. "What's wrong with her?" he asked quietly. He had seen no apparent injury to her upper body. And though he was certain she was completely naked under those skins, he wasn't about to pull them up and look…at least not with Jay'el in the room!

"She was tortured by Apophis. My brother says she fought bravely and did not reveal anything about the Tauri. But now her mind is unable to grasp what is real."

So Apophis hadn't put one of those snakes inside her! Jack was thankful for that, but he figured Apophis had done something almost as bad. He had used one of those hand devices on her, the kind that Ra had used to scramble the brains of two of his men. It distressed him greatly to think how much pain she must have suffered.

Just then, as if she sensed there was someone there, Sam cried out and her body shuddered with a sort of spasm, as though a shock wave was coursing through her. "No! Leave me alone! I won't tell you anything!"

"Sam! Sam, it's me, Jack. Sam, honey, wake up," he urged, as he gripped her shoulders in his big hands. "Please, baby, I know you can beat this. Come on, wake up!"

At first her face twisted in a look of pain, as though she didn't want to believe it was really him. But then she shook her head back and forth and slowly opened her eyes. When her eyes met his, he could see recognition in her them, and he let out a sigh of relief.

Up until now she had been lost, but now… Sam knew that voice! And suddenly a name popped into her head. "Jack?"

"Yah, honey, it's me."

"Where am I?" She couldn't remember much of anything at first, even who she was. But now that she saw his face, her memory was gradually returning.

"Shhh, don't worry about that. You're safe now. That's all that matters." Sitting down on the floor he pulled Sam up and hugged her to his chest. Her arms went around his middle, her fingers digging into his jacket as he held her close, while he spread his fingers across the naked skin of her back.

"You were the medicine she needed," Jay'el said as she stood over them. "You may stay here with her tonight. I will see to it that your men are fed and given a place to rest."

"Thank you for taking care of her," he said, as he looked at Jay'el over Sam's head, which was tucked under his chin.

The woman just smiled and nodded. Then she left the hut.

Now they were alone together for the first time in what seemed like forever to Jack, and his body was reacting to holding the woman he loved, to the feel of her silky skin under his hands, to the smell of her. But he didn't know if she was feeling anything more than gratitude for finding her, so he decided to take things slowly.

Jack laid her down gently, grinning as she brought her hands up to her chest, in an attempt to cover her breasts. But instead of teasing her about it, he didn't comment, and he kept his eyes on her face. He didn't want to come across as so needy and insensitive that he would attack a convalescing woman in her bed! But when she smiled up at him, he found it impossible to leave.

"You mind if I share your bunk for a while?" he asked. "I've walked a long way, and my leg's pretty tired."

"Oh, your knee! I saw them shoot you. I thought you were dead," she admitted, her eyes glistening with tears, as she reached out and touched his hand.

"Nah, I'm too ornery to die," he responded with a cheeky grin, and Sam's heart melted. That grin, those dimples, those eyes! There was no way she could resist him, when he looked at her that way.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For coming to rescue me."

"Always." All he did was squeeze her fingers, and her body reacted, her sex weeping for him. She had missed him for so long! And now they were here together, and they were alone, and she realized her feelings for him hadn't changed one bit. She had tried to hate him, tried to stop loving him, but she had failed miserably. She still loved him, and she still wanted him just as much as she always had. And it was obvious he still had feelings for her too.

"Please, lay down with me," she said softly. She knew what she was asking him, but did he understand? She hoped he did.

"Yes, Ma'am!"

Not wanting to miss an opportunity like this one, Jack hurried to remove his jacket, boots, and trousers. Then he slid under the furry skins, while Sam turned on her side, facing away from him. For several minutes he laid there on his side, staring at the back of her head, and wishing he knew what she wanted from him. Was she just allowing him to sleep with her, as in actually sleeping, or did she want more? He got his answer when he heard her voice.

"Hold me, Jack. I need you."

TBC


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

When Jack woke up several hours later and felt Sam's warm body pressed up against his, he felt better than he'd felt in a long, long time. He had been worried about how his body would perform. He knew it was just an artificial knee joint, but since having the surgery he'd felt old and weak. Now he felt young and alive again!

They had made love, and Sam had responded to him just like she had the first time. Laying there awake, with Sam sleeping in his arms, Jack recalled every word, every touch.

"I've missed you," he said as his hand clutched her hip.

"I've missed you too," she answered, as she turned her head to kiss him. His hand moved down over her belly and in between her thighs as she opened her mouth to his.

She could feel his growing erection behind her, so she pushed her hips back, squeezing it between their bodies. A groan left his lips, and he broke off the kiss, extending his left arm so she could rest her head on it. Then he pulled her closer and bent his arm down until he could cup her right breast. Meanwhile, the fingers of his right hand delved in between her nether lips. They came out soaked with her juices, and he lifted them to his nose and inhaled. Then he stuck them in his mouth, worshipping the taste of her.

"I wanna lick your pussy. Lay on your back," he said, and Sam complied. Jack moved between her legs on his belly, scooting down until his face was poised above her curly mound. Her scent was strong now, as he traced the outer edges of her folds with the tip of his nose and then his tongue.

"Oh, God, please don't tease me," she begged, as her hands clutched his head, pushing it down.

He smiled to himself as he wrapped his arms around her thighs, and resting on his elbows he got to work. He knew what she liked, and he intended to give it to her. With the flat of his tongue he licked her clitoris repeatedly, until it was swollen and firm. Then he sucked it into his mouth, pressing his thin lips together, as he hummed. Sam's body ignited like a rocket on the Fourth of July, her hips bucking up and down as she rode out her climax.

Jack let her enjoy herself for a bit, petting her and speaking soothing words of love to her, before he rose up over her and pressed his erection home. In one sure thrust he was inside her, and then he pulled her legs up high around his hips. He knew she preferred this position to the others they'd tried, so even though he was worried about his knee, he dug in his toes and began fucking her slowly and steadily. And since it had been a long time since he'd had sex…actually the last time had been with Sam at Eden Woods….it wasn't long before he came.

Then they both slept peacefully.

Some time before dawn Jack gently lifted Sam's head until he was able to slip his arm out from under it, and then he got dressed and went outside. It was pitch black now, except for light from the big campfire, which the Hak'tyl apparently kept burning at all hours. Here and there it threw ghost-like shadows onto the huts, the trees and the ground.

Several people sat around the campfire, and Jack recognized them as his men and Daniel. Teal'c was not there, and Jack figured he was sleeping.

Jack intended to tell them to get some sleep now, but first he needed to pee. So he went into the woods behind one of the huts and relieved himself. When he came back, Kawalsky was standing, obviously waiting to speak to him.

"Hey, Jack. Everything okay?"

"Yah, everything's fine. You guys should get some sleep now. We'll head back in four hours."

"I could use some shut eye. How about you, Lou?"

"Yeah, I could sleep," Ferretti replied, and then the two men sauntered off toward their sleeping bags, which were over at the far edge of the village.

Jack sat down near Daniel, who gave him a curious look. "I take it Sam is okay."

"Yah, she's good. I just wanted to make sure she was alright before I left her."

"You don't have to pretend with me, Jack; I know how you feel about her. I just don't understand how it happened so fast. How did you fall in love with her so quickly?" Daniel asked.

Jack watched the sparks from the fire, as they floated up toward the inky sky. A part of him thought he shouldn't be talking about this with anyone but Sam. But another part felt like he had to talk to someone about it, before he went crazy! "Actually we've known each other for quite a while. We were both stationed in Germany when we met. We had an affair."

"And neither of you knew you'd be working together at the SGC?"

"No, we didn't have a clue."

"Wow! So what are you gonna do now?"

"I don't know. I guess that's up to her." Actually there were things he needed to tell her, things which he thought would weigh in his favor… like the fact that he was no longer in the military and that he was no longer married. He hoped they'd make a difference to her. But the way his luck had been going the last few years, he wasn't feeling very confident. Yes, she had slept with him, but what if she was just feeling grateful? Or what if she'd fucked him out of pity?

'No, that couldn't be it. She doesn't know about your knee, Jack,' he reminded himself. He wanted to tell her about the surgery and about his retirement too, but the time hadn't been right. 'You could have told her before you fucked her. You should have, Jack,' he scolded himself. 'But NO, instead you had to get what you wanted. She was right not to trust you!' he railed at himself.

"Jack? Jack, are you going to stand watch the rest of the night?" Daniel asked, giving him a concerned look. Daniel was standing now, and Jack suddenly realized how tired the man looked.

"Yah, probably. I don't think I can sleep now." 'Yah, now that you realize what an asshole you are,' his conscience said. "You go ahead and get some sleep, Daniel."

Jack watched as Daniel walked off into the darkness. Jack figured he was going to pee, so he watched for him to come back. And once the younger man had gone to his sleeping bag, Jack let his mind wander for a bit.

"What are you doing out here all alone?" Sam asked, as she sat down beside him. She had one of the furry skins wrapped around her, but her feet and lower legs were bare, and Jack thought she looked cold. He tossed some wood onto the fire before he put his arm around her shoulders.

"I've been thinking. There are some things I need to tell you." There were a lot of things he needed to tell her, but where to start was the question.

"Oh, oh, that sounds ominous," she said, as she turned her head to stare up at him. Their eyes met and he bent his head down and kissed her, quickly and gently.

"For starters, I'm not in the Air Force anymore."

"What?!"

"I quit. It was either that or fly a desk for the rest of my career. That shot blew out my knee. They replaced the joint with a metal one," he said, knocking on his knee with his fist.

"Oh, Jack, I'm so sorry!" Sam reached for his hand and held it, enjoying the warmth and the closeness it afforded her. She had always wanted their relationship to be like this, holding hands, talking…really talking, but she had doubted it would ever happen.

"It's alright. I was already retired once."

"You were?"

"Yah. Sam, there's a lot more you don't know about me."

"I'm listening," she said as she squeezed his hand.

After I saw you at Eden Woods, my son died."

"Oh my God!" she breathed out. She couldn't believe he had suffered such a terrible loss! No matter what he'd done to her, he didn't deserve that much grief. No one did. "How did it happen?"

"He shot himself with my gun. I was arrogant enough to think that it was okay to keep a loaded gun in the house. Sara asked me repeatedly to get rid of it, but I thought I knew better. Charlie was curious and…." Jack shook his head. He couldn't go on. He'd never been able to talk about it with anyone, and he still couldn't.

"Accidents happen, Jack. It wasn't your fault."

"I know that. And I think Sara knew it too, but she couldn't forgive me for not being there for her afterward. I shut her out. I've never been any good at talking about my feelings, or anyone else's for that matter. She left me."

"So I just slept with a single man?"

"Yah." The divorce had become final while Sam was missing. And now that he'd found her, he wanted to believe it was an omen.

Sam wanted to shout for joy, but she thought it would be wrong to celebrate the failure of someone's marriage. But his news did make her feel really good. Now maybe they had a chance!

"I'm sorry I made you feel like I didn't care about you," he told her, and then they kissed, a long, sweet kiss that left Sam wanting more.

"Come back to bed. It's cold out here. And I think you have some more apologizing to do," she said as she got up.

The animal skin fell down as she stood up, revealing her naked body to Jack's heated gaze, and he couldn't move fast enough. Soon, even though there were other things he needed to tell her, they were back under the covers together, and he was stroking her thighs as he kissed her lips.

Sam felt like she was floating on a cloud! Everything he did, every touch, every kiss was perfect! Jack had just entered her all the way, when he stopped moving. "What?" she asked as she tried to see the expression on his face inside the dark interior of the hut.

"There's something else I need to tell you."

"Can't it wait?" she whined. If he didn't move soon, she thought she might lose her mind!

"No, it can't. I have to get this off my chest. You see, I let people convince me that you were dead. So I went to Eden Woods to talk to the Baxters about Jonathan's future."

"Oh, my gosh, I hope you didn't take the boy away from them!"

"No! No, I would never do that to him or to them." Jack felt like she'd slapped him. Did she really think he was so uncaring?

"I'm sorry, I didn't meant that to sound like I don't trust you," she insisted. "Go on."

"I spent some time with our son. He's a wonderful boy, Sam. He's intelligent and wise, and he loves you a great deal. You've done a great job raising him."

"Thank you. He has a lot of your good qualities."

"I'm not sure I have any," he said with an ironic laugh. "Anyway…talking to him made me see how bad I've treated you. In fact, he made me realize that I was still letting you down."

"What?" Sam was confused. Jonathan knew very little about the things she did for the Air Force, so she had no idea what Jack meant.

"I don't mean I told him exactly what had happened to you. I just told him you were missing, that the enemy had taken you. Then he said something that really hit home. He said, as your CO it was my duty to find you and bring you home. The boy was right, Sam."

"Well, I guess I did do something right after all," she said with a chuckle. She had often wondered if she was doing a good job raising the boy. In fact, she often thought maybe she should try to find a husband, someone to be a father to Jonathan. Now she was very glad she hadn't. Jon had a father, and his father was a very good man.

"Never doubt it, Sam. Our son is going to grow up to be a fine man. And if you'll have me, I want to be a part of his life."

"Of course! You can come and visit anytime you want," she stated, and then she closed her eyes and prayed he was asking her what she wanted him to ask her.

The firelight flickered on the fabric which served as a door. It was just enough light for him to see that she had her eyes closed. "That's not what I mean, and you know it. Look at me!" Sam opened her eyes and stared at him, her blue eyes appearing much darker in the dim light. There was also a sparkle in them. "You little witch! You're messing with me. Admit it!" he cried, and then he lifted his hips a bit before slamming them into hers, thrusting his erection deeper into her willing body.

"Ah!" Sam felt like she'd been stabbed clear through. And it felt good. When he fucked her, she thought there was nothing she wouldn't say or do to keep him right where he was now. "I admit it; I was just teasing. Maybe you should punish me?" she suggested breathlessly.

"I will, but first," he said, as he rolled his hips, repeatedly raking her insides with his steely shaft. "…tell me you want to marry me," he growled.

"I do! I love you, Jack, and I want to marry you!" she gasped from between gritted teeth. If he stopped one more time, she was going to kill him with her bare hands! "Now PLEASE…FUCK ME!"

Kawalsky and Ferretti emerged from their sleeping bags, and both men looked worried.

"I'm sure I heard someone screaming. It sounded like a woman," Charlie whispered.

"I heard it too. Look! He's just sitting there," Lou Ferretti said in a hushed voice, as he looked at Teal'c, who was seated by the campfire.

Just then they heard another scream, but this time it sounded like a man. And still Teal'c did nothing. So the two men went over to question the big alien warrior.

"Hey, Teal'c, did you hear that?" Charlie asked.

"To what do you refer?"

"The screaming. Didn't you hear it? It sounded like someone's in trouble," Kawalsky explained. Lou shrugged his shoulders, as if to say that the alien was acting very strange, even for an alien.

"I believe you are referring to O'Neill and Samantha Carter."

The two men looked at each other, and slowly their expressions changed from confusion to understanding.

"Well, that old dog!" Charlie remarked happily.

"Yeah, for an old guy, Jack sure has a lot of chutzpah."

"So…Teal'c, do you have a woman?" Charlie asked.

"Indeed! I have a wife on Chulac, but I have had many other women as well," he replied solemnly.

"Many?! Wow! Tell us about 'em," Charlie said, as he and Lou joined Teal'c by the fire.

For the next two hours they listened to the Jaffa tell stories about women and places the likes of which the two Tauri soldiers couldn't begin to imagine. And by morning they both had great respect for their new friend.

TBC


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

The following morning Sam was just waking up when Jack entered the hut carrying something for her breakfast. He thought she looked much better than the day before, much happier, and he hoped it had something to do with him. But now he would have to be the one to make her feel bad, and he dreaded it.

Sam gobbled down the bread and fruit he gave her. She hadn't realized how hungry she was until she'd smelled the freshly baked bread. But as she ate, she became aware that Jack was acting uneasy.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Jack, I know you. Tell me!"

"I hate to be the one to tell you…"

"Tell me what? Jack, is it Jonathan?"

"No! No, he's fine….except he misses his Mom."

"Then what is it?" Jack took her hands in his, and Sam's heart began to race.

"It's your father. When General Hammond phoned to tell him your were MIA, he found out that your Dad's in the hospital."

"The hospital?!"

"Yes. It's doesn't look good, Sam. He has cancer, and his doctor says they've done all the can."

"Oh my God, no." Sam crumbled at the news, so Jack held her in his arms while she cried. Once she was composed, she asked Jack to take her home right away.

When Sam had emerged from the hut dressed like Xena Warrior Princess, in the leather outfit the Hak'tyl had given her, Jack had told his men to keep their eyes on her face, and their mouths shut, and they had. But walking down the gate ramp later that morning, Sam drew stares from all the men on duty in the gate room and in the control room, including General Hammond, and Jack forgot that he was no longer anyone's CO.

"Eyes front!" he yelled heatedly. All the men, except for General Hammond, did as he ordered.

"Sam, it's good to see you…uh…looking so well," Hammond said somewhat nervously. Then he quickly turned his attention to Jack. "Colonel, congratulations on your successful mission."

"Thank you, Sir, but since I'm not in the Air Force anymore, just call me Jack."

"On the contrary. The Joint Chiefs have authorized me to offer you your old job back. Even though you aren't qualified for front-line duty, you can still be my second-in-command. The truth is they don't want to lose your expertise, Jack."

"But, Sir…"

"Just listen, before you say No. They want you to train new SG personnel, prepare them for missions through the stargate, that sort of thing."

"With all due respect, Sir, NO WAY! I'm not interested, Sir. But tell them I said thanks."

"But Sir, it's a great opportunity for you," Sam said. She'd been thinking about her father until just then. Now her concern shifted to Jack. She had felt sorry for him when he'd told her he was no longer fit for front-line duty, so this seemed like wonderful news to her.

"I said I'm not doing it, Carter. I've got a son who needs me, and if his mother will still have me, I'm gonna marry her." The silence that ensued was deafening.

"Yes, I'll still have you," Sam replied, and everyone within hearing range gasped. Many smiled.

Sergeant Harriman even applauded. Then, "Sorry, Sir," he said, addressing Hammond over the loud speaker.

"Yes…well, I think we should continue this conversation later in my office, after you've both been checked out in the infirmary," Hammond anxiously suggested, wanting to end this embarrassing scene as quickly as possible.

"Yes, Sir," Sam and Jack responded as one.

They had been at Eden Woods for several weeks now, and Jack was really enjoying himself. For a person like himself, one who loved trees and fishing, it was the perfect place to live. And there were other good things about the place too, like the boy seated next to him.

Jonathan had been emulating everything he did. If Jack removed his sunglasses and wiped his face with his hand, the boy did the same thing. If he took a swig of his beer, the boy picked up his can of pop and took a drink. Jack felt very flattered and proud of the boy too. Sam was the perfect wife, Jon was the perfect son, the place was perfect, everything was perfect. All in all, Jack felt like he was living in a paradise…one where he was the king!

"Hey, you two, it's time to come inside for lunch. Bella's making grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup."

"Is it that late already?" Jack asked, as he looked up into the sun. A shapely, leggy body appeared out of the glare as Sam came to stand behind him on the little fishing pier.

"It's twelve-fifteen. You've been out here since eight. Come on, Jon, let's go get cleaned up. Maybe you can help Bella make your birthday cake," she said as she reached down and tousled the boy's unruly hair. He was so much like Jack that she often had to stop and stare at the two of them. People often said they saw her in the boy, but she couldn't see it. To her he was Jack, just smaller.

"Cake?! Oh, boy!" The boy quickly reeled in his fishing line and stood up. "Coming, Dad?"

"Yah sure, you betcha! Bella's cooking is something I would never miss," he said honestly, as he quickly gathered up his fishing gear.

On the way up to the cottage where the older couple lived, the boy ran ahead, while Jack and Sam walked at a leisurely pace. He grabbed her hand and held it. He still couldn't believe she was really his wife.

It seemed like everything had happened so fast. First she had been promoted to Major, and then she had led her first mission through the stargate. It had been a quick trip to a planet where some new allies called the Tok'ra lived. SG-5 had met the advanced race on a routine meet and greet, and now her father had a symbiote inside his head and a new lease on life. But that was another story.

Once her father was well enough to travel back through the stargate, Jack and Sam had gotten married in the gate room, with her father, General Hammond, Kawalsky, Ferretti, Daniel, and Teal'c, and of course the ever-present Sergeant Harriman, in attendance. And after that the newlyweds had gone directly to Eden Woods. They hadn't had a honeymoon, but neither one regretted their decision to spend time here with their son.

After ten long years they were finally beginning their lives together, and that was all that mattered to them. Sam planned to go back to work in a week, while Jack would stay here, enjoying the relaxation he had earned and getting to know their son better. Sam had no doubt that he would tire of being a househusband after a while, and then he would go back to work, doing something he enjoyed. She didn't know what that would be, but she didn't care as long as he was happy.

She was VERY happy, and unless she was mistaken she had news that would make their lives even more perfect, but not any less complicated.

After lunch Jonathan was busy in the kitchen with Bella, who had promised he could mix the cake batter if he helped her wash the dishes, so Sam decided it would be a good time to tell Jack her news.

"Jonathan's busy, so why don't we take a walk up to the point?" she asked, as she came up behind him. They were standing on the porch, and he was staring out at the lake, and Sam thought he was still every bit as sexy as the first day she'd met him.

Sam put her arms around his waist, and Jack hoped he knew what she was thinking about. On their second day here they had hiked up to a secluded place on top of a nearby mountain. And there they had made love on a blanket in the shade of towering Aspen trees. Afterward they had laid there looking up at the leaves, which rustled in the breeze, looking like silver scales on some giant fish.

"Yah, sounds good. But you'll need to put on your hiking boots first." She stood on tiptoe and kissed him. In his boots he was five inches taller than her. He liked how small she seemed, like someone he needed to protect, even though he knew she could kick his ass if she set her mind to it.

"Come with me while I get ready," she said as she tugged on his hand.

"Shouldn't we tell Jonathan where we're going?"

"No, he'll want to come along, and I want you all to myself for a while. Come on!" she cried as she let go of his hand and ran for the hotel.

A few minutes later they were both dressed for their hike, and Sam was carrying a blanket in a canvas tote bag, while Jack had a pack over one shoulder. Inside the pack was a bottle of water, two chocolate chip granola bars to satisfy his sweet tooth, and an apple for Sam.

It took them twenty minutes to follow the trail up the mountain and then another ten to reach the little glade that Sam had taken him to that day. The pine needle bed he'd made for them was still there, so Jack helped Sam spread out the blanket over top of it. And then they laid down together, his arm under her head as they looked up at the patch of blue sky and green foliage above them.

"Just think…we've been out there," he said, pointing up to the sky.

"Do you miss it…miss being in the military, miss going through the stargate…any of it?"

"Nah. Why would I, when I have you and our son?"

"And our daughter."

Jack quickly lifted up on his elbow and stared at her. "Our daughter? Sam, are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"Uh huh." She watched his startled expression change into a big grin. He was happy, just as she knew he would be.

"Sweet!" he cried, pumping one fist in the air. "But how d'ya know it's a girl?"

"Statistics prove that seventy-three percent of…."

"Ack! No science talk, Sam. You're still on leave."

"Well, then, let's just say that I have a gut feeling it's a girl." He often said he had 'gut feelings' about things, so she knew he understood what she meant.

Jack bent down and gently laid his head on Sam's belly, where he pretended to be listening. After thirty seconds he lifted his head. "Yep! You're right! She said to tell you Hey."

"Hey?" she chuckled.

"Yah. She also promised not to look while I do this," he said, and he bent down and pressed his lips to her inner thigh.

"Ooh, Sir, I don't know if I can resist the temptation," she purred.

"Who said anything about resisting, my sweet Sam?"

With painstaking slowness Jack began peppering her lower half with kisses, while his hand gently squeezed her tender mounds through her top and bra. Sam lifted her hips to help him remove her shorts and panties, and then their fingers worked in tandem as they unfastened his jeans.

Sam's hand felt like warm silk on his cock, as she guided him to her small opening. And then he was pushing inside her, his eyes closed as he drove into her tight passage. With Sam it always felt like the first time. But then he thought of something important.

Suddenly he stopped, and Sam opened her eyes and looked at him. "What's wrong?" she asked, as she held onto his shoulders.

"Is this okay? I mean I wouldn't want to hurt the baby."

"It's fine as long as you take it easy."

"Okay, but you tell me if anything hurts."

"I will, I promise. Now fuck me, or I'll hurt YOU, Mister," she warned, grinning up at him.

"I like it when you talk dirty, Major."

"Then you'll love this, Sir. FUCK ME, COLONEL!"

Jack began to move then, drawing his cock all the way out of her, before sliding back in at a different angle. She gasped, and he knew he'd hit the right spot. Now he began rocking his hips back and forth, and Sam's legs lifted and circled his hips. His mouth found a pert, pink nipple and he sucked hard. Sam cried, climaxing out almost immediately, her orgasm surprising both of them.

"Wow, you're really turned on today," he remarked. Now her muscles were gripping him like a steel vice, making it harder for him to move. But the friction felt fantastic, so he wasn't about to complain. So he put his back into it now and pressed on.

"Pregnancy makes me horny," she responded as she kissed the side of his neck, nibbling at his damp skin.

"Then I think I'm going to keep you pregnant for the rest of your life," he replied, as he continued to thrust and withdraw, fucking her slowly but steadily, until he was rewarded with his own orgasm.

Afterward, they laid together, looking up at the trees and the patch of blue sky. But suddenly Jack had another thought. "Tell me something. If pregnancy makes you horny, how did you deal with it the last time?" he asked. He was puzzled when Sam started to laugh.

"What's so funny?" he asked, lifting up to look down at her smiling face.

"I haven't thought of him in a long time."

"HIM?" Jack asked. If she was going to tell him there'd been someone else, he wasn't sure he wanted to hear it!

"Yes, I had this big, flesh-colored vibrator, and I called it Jack."

Jack breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, that's better. For a minute I thought maybe you had someone else."

Sam patted his cheek and smiled. "No, Jack. There's been no one since you. But I must say that vibrator was very stimulating," she teased, giving him a wicked grin.

"I'll show you stimulating," he growled as he turned her over on her belly. He was hard already just from thinking about her fucking herself with a vibrator, and now he couldn't wait to be inside her again.

EPILOGUE

Eight months later Sam gave birth to a healthy boy, and they named him Jacob Carter O'Neill. Sam went back to work at the SGC two months after their second son was born, although she rarely went off world anymore. Jack occupied his time teaching flying at a local airstrip and taking care of the boys.

Jacob Carter was still living with the Tok'ra, but every six months or so he would come to Earth to see his grandkids. And though he and Jack had never really hit it off, Jack thought the older man disapproved of him less and less as time went by.

Bella and George had moved to the penthouse suite of the hotel, which was more than big enough for two people. And though they were still managing the place, Sam had hired two new employees to give the Baxters more free time, and to prepare for the day when the older couple would want to retire.

Jack thought he was happier than it was possible for a man to be. But one day, when little Jacob was only three months old, Sam announced that she was pregnant again. This time they finally got their daughter, who they named Grace Ellen, after their mothers. And by the time she was ready to come home from the hospital Jack had completed the three-room addition to the cottage, where the five O'Neills all lived happily ever after.

THE END


End file.
